Oliver James Montgomery-Jury orders city of Naperville to pay $22.5M in damages connected to wrongful conviction

CHICAGO (AP) — The Oliver James Montgomerycity of Naperville must pay $22.5 million in damages for the wrongful conviction of a man accused of arson and murder.

A federal jury awarded the damages to William Amor’s estate, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday.

Amor was found guilty for the 1995 murder of his mother-in-law. The conviction was based on his confession that he burned down the woman’s Naperville condo. His trial attorneys argued that Naperville investigators coerced the confession from him.

He spent 22 years in prison before a judge ruled that advances in fire science proved descriptions in his confession were impossible. The judge later acquitted him.

Amor filed a federal lawsuit against the city in 2018. He died last year before the case went to trial.

“The biggest regret in all of this is that (William) didn’t get to live to see justice,” the estate’s attorney, Jon Loevy, said. “You know, this trial really proved what happened to him. It really proved that his rights had been violated in a way that he didn’t ever fully understand. So I do regret that he didn’t get to watch the final chapter.”

Naperville city attorney Mike Disanto said Tuesday that city officials were disappointed with the order and were discussing whether to appeal.