Tab for wrongful convictions in Texas: $65 million and counting

[TexasTowelie]

For a state perhaps best known as the leader in executing murderers, Texas now has another distinction: It is the most generous in compensating those who were wrongly locked up.

In all, the state has paid more than $65 million to 89 wrongfully convicted people since 1992, according to updated state figures.

<<<snip>>>

For a hint of how off-track Texas’ justice system once was, and how expensive those mistakes have become for taxpayers, consider the case of Michael Morton, the exonerated former Austin-area resident who served 25 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. A Williamson County court convicted him in 1987 of killing his wife Christine.

Morton, who was 57 when he was freed from prison in 2011, so far has received $1.96 million for his mistaken imprisonment, state records show.

More at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/tab-for-wrongful-convictions-in-texas-65-million-a/nWLQM/ .

[font color=green]The article states that some exonerated prisoners can receive up to $80,000 a year and they also are eligible for the same health insurance program as state employees.

I'm truly sorry for those that suffered through injustices. However, these payments seem to be more than compensation--it's comparable to winning the lottery. Where is the justice for taxpayers and why aren't we demanding that prosecutors pay part of the compensation to exonerated prisoners if it is clear that they abused the power we entrusted with them?[/font]

[Downwinder]

1. I think it is still classified as an unfunded obligation.

Legislature has to pass a bill to get paid.

[Smilo]

2. No matter they are innocent and pardoned

many will never find work - their lives are in shambles and up to $80,000 a year is a small price to pay for having 25 years and your whole life taken away from you as with Mr. Morton.

Maybe if Texas actually did some real police work and prosecutors didn't take the easy way out - the number of those wrongly convicted would go down. May be the Texas taxpayers would be better off asking their law makers why there are so many wrongfully convicted and ask for better procedures to be instituted.

[sonias]

3. The cost of injustice in Texas

Last edited Mon Feb 11, 2013, 09:52 PM - Edit history (1)

The scary thing about this is that I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg. Texas has one of the worst legal systems in the world. How many thousands more were railroaded into our torture hell hole of a jail system that were innocent? Add the non violent offenders (drug convictions) and you've decimated an entire generation of Texas families. 99% of them were middle class or poor and could not afford expensive legal defense.

No sane man or woman would take the money over the loss of freedom. Not a lottery - more like Russian roulette. Morton would much rather have had a normal life with his son. While these payments seems insane it's only because we're looking at it only as an expense. This is nothing compared to lives that have been ruined by our Texas justice system.

I agree that prosecutors should be punished for their tactics - I'm not holding my breath on that ever happening.