A Rochester man wrongfully convicted in a 40-year-old rape case hasbeen awarded $6.2 million.

Feddie Peacock, 64, was convicted of first-degree rape in 1976.Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Michael Telesca denied the Cityof Rochester’s attempts to have Peacock’s civil lawsuit dismissed.

In his ruling, Telesca said a reasonable jury could conclude apolice officer in the case fabricated the confession. Peacock, who hasa serious mental illness, was identified by the 24-year-old woman asher attacker. A police officer said Peacock confessed to the crime,but another officer later said he didn’t hear a confession.

Peacock spent six years in prison before being released on parole in1982. Twenty years later, DNA evidence showed Peacock was not theattacker. With the help of the Innocence Project and the Monroe Countydistrict attorney’s office, hewas exonerated in 2010.