City counseloroffice budget sets aside funds for two wrongful-conviction matters; staffing shifts noted

Michael Garvin, a representative of the City Counseloroffice, told the Budget and Public Employees Committee on May 20 that the officeincluded contingency money in the FY26 budget for two pending wrongful-conviction claims and that recent departures in the office prompted use of outside counsel.

The matter matters because the claims, if plaintiffs prevail or settlements are reached, will be paid by the city. "There is money in here because there's still 2 wrongful-conviction cases that, just by their nature, they involve a lot of money if the plaintiff prevails," Garvin said during the committee meeting.

Garvin said one plaintiff was incarcerated 28 years and another 11 years; he told committee members the city had argued the state should be responsible because the…