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| OK to helping wrongfully convicted |
| By Dave Montgomery |
| Published: 04/27/2009 |
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AUSTIN — With a picture of a teenage Tim Cole displayed at the front of the chamber, the state House of Representatives endorsed legislation Friday bearing Cole’s name to help wrongfully convicted men make the transition to life on the outside. Cole’s family watched from the gallery as House members gave preliminary approval to the Tim Cole Compensation Act. The family spent years seeking Cole’s exoneration after he was wrongfully convicted in the rape of a Texas Tech University student in 1985. "I know Tim is looking down and smiling," said Cole’s mother, Ruby Session, 72. Cory Session, a brother, called it "the happiest day of my life." Cole, of Fort Worth, was 39 when he died in prison in 1999. Another man confessed to the rape in 1995, and DNA tests conducted last year proved that Cole was not the rapist. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Rafael Anchiá, D-Dallas, would increase the lump sum compensation for exonerated prisoners from $50,000 to $80,000 for every year spent in prison. It would also pay for college tuition and insurance benefits. In exchange for the compensation, recipients would have to agree not to sue the state. Gov. Rick Perry has told Cole’s family that he supports the legislation. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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