GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.—Some state lawmakers from Denver are working on a bill that would give financial compensation to people wrongfully convicted of crimes.
One of the sponsors, Democratic Rep. Dan Pabon, told The Daily Sentinel ( ) that the bill was inspired by the case of Robert Dewey. He spent 18 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of murdering a Palisade woman. He was freed last year after new DNA evidence cleared him.
In 2008, Timothy Masters was released after serving 10 years for killing a Fort Collins woman. He won a $10 million settlement for his wrongful conviction.
The bill would allow the wrongfully convicted to collect up to $60,000 for every year they served behind bars.
It’s set to be introduced this week.
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Information from: The Daily Sentinel,
