Man exonerated after 25 years on death row files lawsuit against city of Philadelphia

Christopher Williams wants justice for the years he spent on death row.

Chris Williams, who was released from prison in February after spending 25 years on death row, filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the city of Philadelphia, former city prosecutors and several Philadelphia Police Department detectives, "seeking justice for over 30 years he spent as an innocent man on death row," according to the lawsuit filing.

Williams, who is African American, was released from prison on Feb. 9, after being exonerated in a second murder case. He was charged and tried for six murders, which occurred in separate incidents in Philadelphia in the late 1980s, and was acquitted of two of those murders and convicted of the remaining four.

Former assistant district attorney David E. Desiderio and a number of Philadelphia detectives "covered-up evidence, buried leads, and fabricated evidence to arrest and convict Mr. Williams and others," the lawsuit alleged. Desiderio has previously denied any allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.

Williams' attorney, Ben Crump, spoke to reporters Wednesday outside of Philadelphia Municipal Court, saying, “We have to be honest enough to say that we have to improve our system, America. We must be better than what happened to Chris Williams.”