Man wrongfully imprisoned in 1981 files federal civil lawsuit

By Barry Simms

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — A man wrongfully imprisoned in 1981 is filing a lawsuit.

John Huffington said at a news conference Thursday in Downtown Baltimore that he has spent 44 years fighting and he called his federal civil lawsuit important to him and his family.

The lawsuit outlines how Huffington served 32 years in prison for a wrongful conviction.

“For me, a big part of this is I can’t help but acknowledge 32 lost years. But what I refuse is to have 32 wasted years,” Huffington said.

After his release in 2013, he received $1.2 million from the state of Maryland as compensation, but Huffington is seeking much more in a lawsuit against Harford County, the estate of now-deceased former Harford County State’s Attorney Joe Cassilly, a Harford County sheriff’s deputy and the estates of three other deceased deputies.

“Let’s say it now. John is innocent,” said Antonio Romanucci, an attorney for Huffington. “He never did it. It should never have happened. John paid dearly for the flawed investigation and wrongful prosecution with decades of his life.”

Another attorney pointed out that Cassilly was disbarred because of his actions in Huffington’s case.

Huffington said there are thousands of wrongfully convicted people in the U.S., and he hopes his lawsuit will change the system.

Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly sent a statement Thursday night to 11 News, saying:

“Joe Cassilly was a decorated war hero. He was catastrophically injured while serving his country and confined to a wheelchair as a quadriplegic, but he went on to serve with honor as the elected state’s attorney in Harford County for 36 years. As a statewide leader, he pressed successfully for the adoption of special units for child victims and the victims of sexual assault. He was a mentor to countless young attorneys and a champion for women in the legal profession. Joe cannot defend himself in this decades-old matter because he is now deceased, as are the other named defendants, except for one who is almost 80. “Harford County government, in which I currently serve as county executive, has no role in this case — the county was never the defendants’ employer; however, as Joe’s brother, and as a longtime public servant, I am proud that Harford County has always supported the professionals in law enforcement and in the criminal justice system who protect innocent citizens from violent criminals.”

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