Wrongly Accused Victim to Get More Money

A man who was wrongly accused of murder and rape and spent almost 19 years in jail is set to receive more money from the state of North Carolina.

The victim reportedly already received $359,000 in compensation from the state for the wrongful accusations brought against him and his time in prison.

New Law Enables Man to be Further Compensated

Darryl Hunt spent a good portion of his life behind bars convicted of the rape and murder of Deborah Skyes.

Hunt’s innocence was recently proven and he was compensated by the state; however, under a new law, he is entitled to receive more.

The law raises the amount of money the state awards to people wrongly convicted of felonies and are later given pardons.

The previous amount to be received was $20,000 for each year of wrongful imprisonment, which gave the wrongly convicted up to $500,000.

Under the new law, these victims can receive $50,000 for every year spent in jail and can receive a maximum of $750,000.

Hunt Also Settles with City

In addition the compensation Hunt will receive from the state, he also settled a case with the city of Winston-Salem.

The city apologized for his wrongful imprisonment and awarded him $1.2 million.

“There is no way to recapture those years, and there is no way to compensate for what these men, and sometimes women, lose in their lives,” says Chris Mumma, Hunt’s attorney.

(Source: News-Record)

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