RENO, Nev. (AP) — A former Nevada woman has sued the state after spending more than three decades in prison for a murder she didn't commit.
The Las Vegas Journal-Review reported Thursday that 68-year-old Cathy Woods filed a lawsuit Tuesday after spending 35 years behind bars for a 1976 Reno murder.
Federal officials say Woods is the longest-serving wrongfully convicted woman in U.S. history.
Officials say Woods was exonerated and could receive up to $3.5 million under a new Nevada law signed this year.
The law says those released from wrongful imprisonment would receive a certificate of innocence, have conviction records sealed and receive monetary compensation.
Officials say those who spent more than 20 years in prison could receive $100,000 per year.
This case is expected to be the first to test the law.
