Wrongful Conviction Lawsuit Against Northwestern Settled

CHICAGO (CBS)-- A settlement has been reached in a $40 million lawsuit against Northwestern University and a former journalism professor who was accused with conspiracy to frame a man for murder.

Alstory Simon, who filed the lawsuit, spent nearly 15 years in prison for the 1982 killings of Jerry Hillard and Marilyn Green in a south side park. His conviction was overturned in 2014 following an investigation by former Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.

The case is one of the most controversial wrongful conviction cases in Illinois history.

The year after he was released, Simon sued Northwestern and David Protess, a former professor at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, who allegedly conspired with private investigator Paul Ciolino and a group of journalism students to secure the release of their acquaintance, death row inmate Anthony Porter.

Lawyers on Friday filed a motion to dismiss the case. Simon was seeking $40 million, but Simon's lead attorney Terry Ekl said Friday in a statement that "a confidentiality clause prevents the parties from making any statements concerning the terms of the settlement."

The confidential terms of the settlement mean that the details of the case will never surface.