David Ranta, who was falsely imprisoned for over two decades for the 1990 murder of a Brooklyn rabbi he did not commit, has been awarded $6.4 million from the city in an out of court settlement. In a claim filed last year, Ranta sought $150 million from the city, and his attorney says he's still planning to sue the state.
Ranta spent 23 years in a maximum security facility after being convicted of shooting Williamsburg rabbi Chaskel Werzberger in the head during a botched robbery. He maintained his innocence throughout his sentence, and was released from prison last March after an investigation revealed arresting detective Louis Scarcella had coached witnesses, failed to take notes during interviews and otherwise mishandled his case. The Brooklyn D.A.'s office has since ordered a review of 50 of now-retired Scarcella's murder convictions.
Ranta's attorney says his client, who suffered a heart attack on the day of his release from prison, is satisfied with the city's settlement. "My client needs to take care of his health and his family and he’s in a position now where he’ll be made financially stable,’’ attorney Pierre Sussman said. "He won’t have to worry about how he’s going to support himself for the rest of his life and pay for his medical bills."
The settlement is one of the largest the city has made with an individual; Sussman says he still plans to file a wrongful conviction suit against New York State.
