Articles
Exonerated Man Gets $5M After Serving 18 Years in Prison
The state of Connecticut will pay $5 million to a man who served 18 years in prison for a rape he didn’t commit. The man, convicted in 1988, was exonerated last summer.
James C. Tillman was 26 years old in 1988 when he was convicted of raping and beating a woman in Hartford. The woman identified Tillman as her attacker, but DNA evidence proved otherwise. He served 18 of the 45-year prison sentence.
Connecticut lawmakers voted unanimously—148-0 in the House and 33-0 in the Senate—to compensate Tillman for the wrongful conviction.
“I think we all wonder, could we be so kind and gentle and humble as we find this person. He did not deserve to be incarcerated for 18 ½ years. Five million dollars is the least we can do,” said Rep. Kenneth Green.
Governor M. Jodi Rell said she would be happy to approve the bill, which lawmakers hope will allow Tillman to live the remainder of his life in comfort.
Gerard A. Smyth, Tillman’s lawyer, said his client thinks the compensation is fair.
(Source: http://public.findlaw.com/pnews/news/ap/o/632/05-17-2007/e270000b0b7ad531.html)
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