Civil rights attorneys say Brooks’ case is one of the most egregious examples of a wrongful conviction in recent years. The case is pending before a district court judge in New Orleans; attorneys are scheduled to appear for the next hearing Monday. The claims are ultimately decided by one of a number of district court judges, whose approach to this issue may vary. After his conviction, Brooks was sent to the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola at a time when the maximum-security prison was considered one of the most violent in the country. (In the fourth case, Murrill dropped her opposition to Patrick Brown’s claim after the victim testified that the exoneree was innocent).