The notoriety of his case made him a target for abuse and assaults in prison, where he arrived at 18, his lawsuit said.

Malik is now free, 46, married and living out of state. But prison left him so psychologically scarred that he can barely leave his home, and simply putting on a seatbelt reminds him of being shackled and triggers post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, the lawsuit said.

Ellerbe settled with the city comptroller for an undisclosed sum, said Kuby, who also represented him. Irons is pursuing a federal lawsuit and has filed a case with the state Court of Claims, said his attorney, David Shanies.

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The post Thomas Malik spent 27 years in prison based partly on statement from a man who lied so often that a court barred him from being an informant appeared first on TheGrio.