Wrongful Convictions Lawyers Cash In by Targeting Insurers

The city of Idaho Falls this month agreed to pay $11.7 million to a man who spent more than 20 years in prison for a 1996 murder he didn’t commit.

But it’s mostly insurance money—not taxpayer dollars—that’s footing the bill, thanks to a strategy championed by a Kansas City, Missouri law firm.

The Lathrop GPM strategy encourages municipalities to settle civil rights claims in part because case law established by the firm shows cities can stick insurers for the bill.

The approach has forced insurers to pay more than $217 million in the last two decades, according to the firm. ...