Wrongfully Convicted Should Be Compensated, Lawmaker Says

By Melissa Daniels | PA Independent

HARRISBURG — Law enforcement doesn’t always get it right when it comes to putting the bad guy behind bars, and one Pennsylvania lawmaker is pushing to make it up to wronged individuals.

Rep. James Roebuck, D-Philadelphia, circulated a memo to other lawmakers Monday seeking support for legislation that would compensate individuals who are exonerated of convicted crimes.

The bill would compensate the individual with twice the amount of wages they earned in the year prior to their arrest, or $25,000, whichever is greater, per year of wrongful imprisonment. It would also reimburse attorney fees, court costs, surcharges and other penalties incurred as a result of the conviction.

Roebuck cited figures from the Innocent Project which say there have been 256 post-conviction DNA exonerations nationwide. Six of those were in Pennsylvania.

From the memo:

 “With technological advances, there is sure to be no shortage of innocent men and women languishing in prison who, if they are able to sustain the arduous process of proving their innocence, must then file costly, hard-to-win lawsuits to rebuild their lives.”

Similar legislation has been introduced in the past without passing.

The federal government, along with more than two dozen states, already have wrongful conviction statues on the books.

On the federal level, compensation can total up to $50,000 per year of wrongful imprisonment, and $100,000 per year on death row.

Contact Melissa Daniels at melissa@paindependent.com