Posted on 09/04/2009 1:26:31 PM PDT by BJClinton
Exonerees will get $80,000 for each year they spent behind bars. The compensation also includes lifetime annuity payments that for most of the wrongly convicted are worth between $40,000 and $50,000 a year — making it by far the nation's most generous package.
Dallas County alone has 21 cases in which a judge overturned guilty verdicts based on DNA evidence, though prosecutors plan to retry one of those.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I was in charge of a $57 million dollar budget. Most years I would come in under budget and get everything done. One year I made a $100,000 mistake. Actually one of my subbordinates did and I missed it in review. The department covered in in the overall budget. Should I have been made to pay $100,000 as a personal fine? And who do you think would have applied to be my successor? Take that amount to a higher level and see who would do the work.
“Not true. Also, police have been known to “suggest” a perp to the victim. There was a case I remember from tv not too long ago where it seems that the guy convicted of rape had managed to avoid some drug charges, and the cops were just finding a way to put him in jail. “
IT IS TRUE.
When a person of one race say white, tries to identify another race, say BLACK, there is often a problem. The reverse is true as well. RACE IS A MAJOR ISSUE when it comes to identifying people. To whites, most blacks all look alike. To whites, most Asians all look alike. People are better at identifying their OWN RACE. THAT is a FACT. It's been proven many times in studies and when people are falsely accused.
Of course there are some corrupt cops who want to railroad a person but this is NOT the majority!
Geesh, you sound like an Obama person ... listen to what you are saying. You are limping all the police into a corrupt pile. It simply isn't so that they are ALL like that. The majority of cops are decent people with remarkable self control. They don't get paid nearly enough for the ABUSE they withstand on a daily basis.
So how much do you think 26 years in prison is worth?
I agree it's not appropriate, it's not nearly enough.
26 years of lost freedom? Priceless.
In general, if a cop or witness or DA provides false info or hides evidence, they should do the sentence for that particular crime.
“I was in charge of a $57 million dollar budget. Most years I would come in under budget and get everything done. One year I made a $100,000 mistake. Actually one of my subbordinates did and I missed it in review. The department covered in in the overall budget. Should I have been made to pay $100,000 as a personal fine? And who do you think would have applied to be my successor? Take that amount to a higher level and see who would do the work.”
YOu should answer your own question.
I am not your conscience.
wow, you think some lives are worth more than others? You aren't compensating him for lost wages, you are compensating him for spending years in a freakin PRISON for a crime he didn't commit. if someone was to come to you today and ask what would you take in exchange for spending a year in a Texas prison in general population, exposed to violence, rape, and the like, how much would you take? If you offered me $80k, i'd laugh in your face.
When their record is expunged, there is no stigma.
I fail to see what that has to do with anything. If you've been in prison for 20 years, you are totally unprepared to live in our current world.
‘To whites, most blacks all look alike. To whites, most Asians all look alike.’
Is that your opinion, or view? Dude, your really coming off as a wack job, with some problems.
Then I misuderstood your position about holding people in giovernment accountible financially because you’re tired of your tax money being spent for it. Either you believe it or not.
Has nothing to do with what they might have earned, it's about loss of freedom. How much do you think 26 years of your life behind bars would be worth - for something you didn't do.
They were in jail for rape.
Do you know what happens to rapists in jail?
How much should they be compensated?
So make the DA pay it? Lol, no one would ever be tried for a crime again.
I hate it to but this one society as a whole has to foot the bill.
And while people might be better at identifying an individual of their own race, that is a minor part of the overall problem with eyewitness testimony.
Getting a check in the mail isn’t the same thing as “prosperity.” One woman here in New Hampshire got $400,000 worth of life insurance for her soldier son, and blew it inside of 18 months and wound up flat broke, addicted, and in prison.
“show me where i lumped (not limped!) all police into the “bad cop” category.”
You mentioned you saw a TV show where cops more or less coerced someone to put another person in jail.
No kidding, I would rather be homeless and destitute but free rather than earning $80K a year locked up in Huntsville. I’ve heard stories from there...
They were in jail for rape.
Do you know what happens to rapists in jail?
How much should they be compensated?
I’ve already answered the compensation question.
As to what happens to them in prison is beyond my control. No amount of money will make it better if they were raped.
your mentality is the reason only defense attorneys ask for juries in injury cases. Your mentality is to look at the amount of compensation and be jealous of it rather than what is being compensated for. What would be a fair amount to compensate someone for 24 hours spent in prison as a convicted rapist? Then multiply by the number of days so incarcerated. So what if the number is very large. The harm suffered was very large.
That's an interesting thesis. Do you have citations for it?
I have a little professional experience in this field, and was personally involved in a study that examined eye witness reliability involving highly stressful situations. That study, and no other studies in which I'm familiar, draw such conclusions. Moreover, every piece of reasonably reliable research I've seen on the subject, casts tremendous doubt on the reliability or purity of eye witness testimony.
But, I'm not completely discounting the possibility of some racially-biased benefit with respect to eye witness identification. I'd be happy and interested to read such research if you can supply the citations.
“Has nothing to do with what they might have earned, it’s about loss of freedom. How much do you think 26 years of your life behind bars would be worth - for something you didn’t do. “
Yes, it has everything to do with it!
No amount of money will compensate them.
Others wrongly convicted and freed weren’t compensated.
What they rejoicvced in was their FREEDOM and personal VINDICATION. This is how it has always been. Their record was expounged and they lived out their life. Family and firends helped them heal. Money, won’t do that. Or do you think money buys happiness too?
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