Clarence Moses-El Paid Nearly $2M For Wrongful Conviction, Imprisonment

DENVER (CBS4)- The Colorado Attorney General calls the case of Clarence Moses-El "a travesty of justice" and says he will not block exoneration. The 2013 Colorado Exoneration Law compensates those wrongfully convicted at a rate of $70,000 per year of incarceration.

Moses-El will receive almost $2 million. He spent 28 years in prison for a rape and beating he insisted he did not commit. Moses-EL was finally given a new trial and was acquitted.

When he was released from prison, he had a large smile on his face, "Enjoy this freedom you really don't know how much it means until it's taken away especially when it's taken away for something you didn't do."

He was originally convicted of raping and beating the woman after she had a dream about him.

Now, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced he will not fight exoneration. A big part of the reason is DNA that was accidently destroyed by Denver police.

Weiser said in a news conference, "The DNA evidence was ordered to be preserved. To my mind, there's no reason why we can't to do better. We need to do better. This case is a travesty of justice."

CBS4 Investigator Rick Sallinger reached Moses-El by phone out of state once the exoneration was announced.

"I'm just happy, happy, very happy with the end result that justice has been acknowledged and I'm being compensated."

He said he is now engaged to be married and is living part time in both Washington state and Colorado.

Moses-El said he is not bitter, adding, "hopping on bitterness is not my thing."

Sallinger asked what words he might have for the woman who accused him of rape.

"For my accuser, I really don't have anything to say I hope her life is doing all right and having a life. i would say that for anybody. I wish her well," said Moses-El.

He has a pending lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver against the City of Denver, the Denver District Attorney, Denver police and others.