SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - A man freed from prison after serving 27 years of a life sentence is suing Springfield and Hartford, Connecticut, for his wrongful conviction.
Mark Schand, of Hartford, is seeking unspecified monetary compensation from the two cities and the Hampden County District Attorney's office in Massachusetts.
Schand maintained he didn't shoot Victoria Seymour in September 1986 outside the After Five lounge in Springfield in what police said was a drug-related robbery. He was granted a new trial in 2013 after a judge considered new evidence.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Springfield federal court, argues Schand's constitutional rights were denied and he's entitled to compensation under federal law.
A spokesman for Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno declined to comment. Hartford officials and the Hampden County District Attorney's office in Massachusetts didn't immediately respond.