A federal appeals court has reinstated a $300,000 settlement that a woman raped by a former Lawrence police officer reached with the city.
The Eagle-Tribune reports that the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the settlement entitled the woman to collect legal fees from the city on top of the money offered to drop her claim.
The court's ruling reversed a decision by a district court judge who threw out the settlement on the grounds that the woman and the city disagreed on whether it included reimbursement for legal fees.
Kevin Sledge was convicted in 2011 of rape for the 2008 assault.
The woman's lawyer says she hopes the ruling ends her client's "eight years of hell."
The city's attorney says he's still reviewing the decision.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
