— A child support lawsuit for back child support against a Wayne County man who spent 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit has been dropped.



Dwayne Dail said the suit, filed in November by his former girlfriend Lorraine Michaels for back child support while he was in prison, was dismissed Friday.



But he said he could not comment on the deal but was happy the matter was resolved.



"I am very happy and relieved to have this black cloud removed from me and my son's bonding process," Dail said. "And I hope that there can begin some healing between me and Lori, too. This has been extremely difficult for everyone involved."



Michaels sued for a "reasonable sum" of a $360,000 compensatory payment Dail is due from the state for his wrongful imprisonment.



Earlier this month, a judge ruled Michaels should receive only a portion, if any, of the payment



Dail spent 18 years in prison for the rape of a 12-year-old girl. He was exonerated by DNA evidence in August.

He is expected to receive that by the end of January and said said he plans to use it to buy a house for him and his son and enroll them both in college. Dail said he wants to pursue a career in criminal justice to help other innocent people in prison.

"I want to have that feeling of having helped someone who is desperately in need of help," he said.