Wrongful incarceration headed to governor
Following the Senate, the House just voted 116-0 for a bill to pay prisoners $50,000 for each year of wrongful incarceration, but only if they do not have prior felony convictions.
There was no debate, and the bill was taken up on second and third reading. The bill (SB 756) and its controversial "clean hands" provision now heads to Gov. Charlie Crist.
The governor recently told the Times that he did not support barriers to compensation. "I believe in forgiveness," he said. But given the three-year struggle to get something passed and the bi-partisan support for the compromise, a veto seems unlikely.
-- Alex Leary
From the writers of the St. Petersburg Times, The Buzz offers the latest news in Florida politics. This is a public forum sponsored and maintained by the St. Petersburg Times. When you post comments here, what you say becomes public and could appear in the newspaper. You are not engaging in private communication with candidates or Times staffers.
Are the D.A.'s going to pay for this or the citizen's? Who wrongfully convicted these people, the D.A.'s or the citizen's? I'm not crass! I wouldn't want to be wrongfully convicted either. But to have the citizens foot the bill for bad judgement from the D.A. smells like more feel good legislation that the citizens had enough of already this year.
Posted by: Donald Lance | April 29, 2008 at 07:56 PM
How about a "clean hands" provision to get re-elected to the legislature????
Posted by: | April 29, 2008 at 08:28 PM
I'm glad the Governor believes in forgiveness - but he'd better start hoping others believe in it too - he LIED about property taxes. He LIED about property insurance. He LIED about PIP. He LIED to state employees. He LIED about holding education harmless. He LIED about KidCare.
Hey Governor - I'll vote for your Party this November - oops!! I LIED!!!!
I guess it is contagious!!!!
Posted by: | April 29, 2008 at 09:00 PM
This is wrong. wrong, wrong. What does your past have to do with the fact that you sat in prison wrongly convicted by corrupt and sometimes lying state attorneys and or cops? If the state wrongs you they should pay regardless. And I agree with you Donald, how about a law holding the state attorneys liable when they send an innocent man to prison. Their resumes are built on convictions and they don't care if someone is innocent or not just as long as they get a conviction.
Posted by: Don Mott | April 29, 2008 at 09:19 PM
Good work, Legislators.
Thank you for seeking justice.
Posted by: | April 30, 2008 at 07:13 PM