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| Okla. Committee Passes Wrongfully Convicted Inmate Bill |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 02/24/2003 |
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Oklahomans who are convicted and imprisoned for crimes they did not commit could seek compensation from the state under legislation approved by a state House committee last week. Passage by the House Judiciary Committee marks the third straight year that the measure has been proposed in the Oklahoma Legislature. Similar bills were passed by the House and Senate in 2001 and 2002 but were vetoed by former Gov. Frank Keating. 'Perhaps we'll have better luck at the governor's desk,' the measure's author, Rep. Opio Toure, D-Oklahoma City, said referring to new Gov. Brad Henry. The measure would permit at least six former inmates who were exonerated of felonies for which they were convicted to apply for up to $200,000 in compensation from the state. One of them, Thomas Webb of Spencer, said the compensation would help him and others rebuild their lives after years of confinement. 'I feel like there's a lack of awareness,' said Webb, 43, who was released from prison in May 1996 after spending 14 years in prison for a rape that DNA testing proved he did not commit. 'It's kind of like you need to walk in my shoes and feel the pain caused by that,' said Webb, who is now married and works for an automotive parts delivery company. Another inmate, Arvin McGee of Tulsa, was convicted of rape and imprisoned for 14 years before he was exonerated by DNA tests and released last year. In many Oklahoma cases, testimony on forensic evidence was accurate at the time of trial. But DNA testing was not available. State law currently does not provide a way to compensate wrongfully convicted citizens or restore their basic rights. The measure establishes a procedure for former inmates to file a claim under the Governmental Tort Claims Act and avoid suing the state for damages. Two former Oklahoma inmates have filed lawsuits seeking $100 million each. In order to file a claim, a wrongfully convicted citizen must have received a full pardon from the governor or been granted a judicial order absolving the claimant of guilt on the basis of actual innocence. As many as 16 other states have created compensation programs for people who have been wrongly convicted. The amounts range from $50 for every day spent behind bars to no maximum limit. The measure, House Bill 1406, now goes to the full House for action. |
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Do you know someone who has been arrested in Waco or McLennan County? It’s important to find a good Waco lawyer to represent you in the matter involving your own liberty. Look for the best Waco family law lawyer that you can find. Whether you have been accused rightly or wrongly, it’s important to know your legal rights that concern whether you go to jail.