A man who was jailed for 13 years for murder will be paid $25,000 by the state after he was exonerated of his crime.
The man was convicted in a 1995 murder in which two other men implicated him in the crime, but DNA evidence has overturned that conviction. Instead, an accused serial killer was linked through this evidence to the murder.
The state claims board of Wisconsin is rewarding the maximum amount of $25,000 for his 13 years of wrongful imprisonment, which amounts to less than $2,000 for every year spent behind bars. The wrongly convicted man and his lawyer do not feel that this sum, even though a maximum reward, is sufficient as compensation for 13 years of prison. The Wisconsin Innocence Project agrees. They are working to pressure lawmakers to raise the current ceiling for wrongful imprisonment compensation, hopefully providing a better monetary basis to allow innocent prisoners to rebuild their lives.
Currently, a federal lawsuit has been filed against the city of Milwaukee, and the police department in particular. If he wins, he would be additionally compensated for the alleged police coercion of the two men who originally confessed and implicated him in the crime.
If you believe that you have been wrongly convicted of a crime you didn't commit, you may be able to repeal your charges. The first step in the process is knowing your rights. Contact Kohler & Hart, LLP, by calling 888-565-7597, and let the Milwaukee criminal appeals attorneys help you today.