BOSTON —

Joseph Bennett, a Boston man who was wrongfully convicted in connection with a 1997 murder, has hired prominent attorney Ben Crump and launched a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Bennett served 22 years in prison after being convicted in the 1997 murder of Jasper Gillard in Mattapan. The conviction was later vacated and, ultimately, dismissed.

Crump is known for representing high-profile cases, including those of Trayvon Martin , George Floyd and Breonna Taylor .

Bennett's legal assertion is that he is owed compensation for a period of wrongful incarceration that ran from approximately 2016 until April 30, 2019, when he was released on bond, according to a statement from Crump.

"Joseph Bennett lost decades of his life because the system got it wrong, a

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