On May 21, 2025, the Chicago City Council approved the settlement of three wrongful conviction lawsuits brought by John Galvan, Arthur Almendarez, and Francisco Nanez.
All three men were convicted of arson, in connection with a 1986 fire at 2604 24th Place in Chicago that claimed the lives of two individuals. The three men were convicted, and sentenced to life sentences, based on coerced confessions obtained after putting them through hours of illegal interrogation that included physical and psychological abuse.
In 2007, Mr. Galvan was 21 years into his sentence when he saw an episode of MythBusters, in which the hosts attempted to prove whether a pool of gasoline could really be ignited with a lit cigarette, as often depicted in film and television. During his lengthy interrogation, Galvan had been coerced into ‘confessing’ that he had lit the fire in just this way, but the episode of Mythbusters disproved that such an ignition was possible. Many years of post-conviction petitions ensued, and all charges against the three men were finally dismissed in 2022.
Between them, the three men—all between the ages of 18 and 21 in 1986—had served over 100 years of wrongful incarceration.
In 2023, the men—represented by Loevy + Loevy—filed civil lawsuits, charging the City of Chicago and a dozen former members of the Chicago Police Department with violations of their civil rights. The trial was scheduled to begin in June of 2025, but a settlement agreement was reached, subject to City Council approval. On May 21, the Council voted to approve a settlement of $48 million, with Galvan and Almendarez each receiving $20 million, and Nanez receiving $8 million.
“The case was set for trial in June, and the City faced enormous exposure for more than 100 collective years of wrongful imprisonment,” says Jon Loevy, who represented all three men. “The City deserves credit for recognizing that settlement was in everyone’s interests. The Plaintiffs are very happy to have received justice.”
The three plaintiffs were represented by Jon Loevy, Josh Tepfer, and Heather Lewis Donnell of Loevy + Loevy.
Click here for copies of the complaints filed by Galvan, Almendarez, and Nanez.
