Maryland Board Approves $8.8M For 3 Men Exonerated After Spending 36 Years In Prison
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Three men wrongfully convicted and incarcerated for killing their classmate back in 1983 are now being compensated.
Wednesday, the Board of Public Works together with Governor Larry Hogan awarded Alfred Chestnut, Ransom Watkins and Andrew Stewart $2.9 million each for the 36 years they spent behind bars.
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot said he knows no dollar amount can restore what was stolen from these three men, but he hopes this settlement brings them some sense of solace and vindication.
The three men walked out of the Maryland Courthouse free men in November 2019 after spending three decades in prison for a crime they didn't commit.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- 'It's As If The Nightmare Is Finally Over' | Wrongfully Convicted Baltimore Man Among Thousands Working To Regain Their Independence
- These Men Were Convicted For Crimes They Didn't Commit. Now They're Pushing To Fix How The State Handles Wrongful Convictions
- 3 Men Exonerated After Spending 36 Years In Prison For Teen's Murder
They were convicted for killing 14-year-old Dwayne Ducket inside Harlem Park Junior High School in 1983.
From day one, they maintained their innocence, a fact that was proven by the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project and the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office of Conviction and Integrity.
"A friend of mine came to me and hugged me and said your journey is coming to an end, but it's not my journey is just beginning," Stewart said.
Each man is getting $81,868 for each year they spent unlawfully incarcerated. That amounts to a combined $8.8 million.
"I think the state is going to have a way in which we correct quickly egregious wrongs like this that have been committed and do the right thing as far as providing a small inadequate healing to these situations," Franchot said.
The announcement comes as supporters lobby for the state to reform its current compensation law, asking that exonerees receive $78,000 for each year of incarceration and that those payments be distributed in a timely manner.
State Treasurer Nancy Kopp apologizing on behalf of the state.
"Mr. Chestnut, Wilkens and Stewart deserve our sincerest apologies," Kopp said.
She added she's thankful that in the end, justice prevailed.
Governor Larry Hogan said Wednesday that he wants to work with lawmakers to lay out specific guidelines for compensating additional exonerees moving forward. He said he wants to pass a long-term bipartisan solution by the end of this legislative session.
