Maryland approves $9 million settlement for five wrongly convicted men

The state of Maryland on Wednesday approved payments of about $9 million to five wrongly convicted men, including about $3 million — the state’s largest-ever such settlement — to a man who spent 39 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

The settlements, passed on a unanimous vote by the Board of Public Works, amount to $78,916 for each year of wrongful incarceration. They will be paid out in installments — by July, 2021 for two of the men, and July, 2025 for the other three.

It is the first time in 15 years the state has approved compensation to exonerees seeking redress. The vote signals the end of a protracted journey for the men, who served a collective 120 years in prison and waited as long as 20 months for the state to respond to their petitions.

“This is a huge development for James. It means life or death for him,” said Kristen Lloyd, an attorney for Hubert James Williams, 68, who is being treated for drug addiction and has frequently been homeless since his release. “It means he won’t be living on the streets, and he can get the help that he has desperately needed.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/maryland-offers-about-9-million-to-five-wrongly-convicted-men/2019/10/29/7fec4c46-f994-11e9-8906-ab6b60de9124_story.html