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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009
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Wronged Ex-Cons: Why Some Get Payday, Some Don't

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(Newser) – How much is a year of jail time worth if you're falsely convicted? The potential awards vary widely, the American Prospect reports. Some states fix rates, with exonerated Wisconsinites claiming $5,000 per year in the clink while those from Alabama get $50,000. Twenty-two states have no laws guaranteeing redress; in those states the fight is on.

“It’s a crazy patchwork quilt,” said an activist about the varied rules—and absence of same—among states. And with 360 inmates exonerated since 2000, many through improved  DNA testing, expect a torrent of lawsuits and legislation.

28 American states currently have no law entitling the exonerated convicts to compensation.
28 American states currently have no law entitling the exonerated convicts to compensation.   (Shutterstock.com)
2007_07_06 Dave (7)
2007_07_06 Dave (7)   ((c) gearyster)
"You're dead but you're still alive," said the wrongly convicted Motto.   (Shutterstock.com)
This frame from video provided by KCBS-TV in Los Angeles shows the door of a typical jail cell that would be the home of Paris Hilton if she is incarcerated at the Century Regional Detention Facility in the Los Angeles suburb of Lynwood, Calif., seen Friday, May 4, 2007. Hilton,...
This frame from video provided by KCBS-TV in Los Angeles shows the door of a typical jail cell that would be the home of Paris Hilton if she is incarcerated at the Century Regional Detention Facility...   (Associated Press)
This image from video taken, Friday, May 4, 2007 by KCBS-TV in Los Angeles shows the interior of a typical jail cell that would be the home of Paris Hilton if she is incarcerated at the Century Regional Detention Facility in the Los Angeles suburb of Lynwood, Calif. Hilton, who...
This image from video taken, Friday, May 4, 2007 by KCBS-TV in Los Angeles shows the interior of a typical jail cell that would be the home of Paris Hilton if she is incarcerated at the Century Regional...   (Associated Press)
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