https://www.newsweek.com/exonerated-man-who-spent-37-years-prison-denied-compensation-wrongful-conviction-1646195
A Florida man who was wrongfully convicted of rape and murder has been denied compensation for the 37 years he spent in prison.
Robert Duboise, 55, was released from prison in August 2020 after being behind bars since 1985.
However, Duboise had previously been to prison for non-violent offenses, and according to Florida state law, anyone applying for prison compensation is required to have a clean record.
Since his release from prison, Duboise has been appealing to various Florida politicians to try and have this law waived. His story caught the attention of state Senator Jeff Brandes, who has filed legislation that would allow Duboise to bypass the law.
"An incredible story...we've taken a portion of their lives as a state then they should be compensated for that wrongful conviction," Brandes stated.
Florida state law sets compensation for wrongful convictions at $50,000 per year served, meaning Duboise would receive a total of $1.85 million in damages.
Beyond financial compensation, Brandes' legislation would also provide Duboise with 120 hours of free education at a state or trade school.
Duboise had meetings with a number of other Florida lawmakers, including the head of the Senate Democrats, Lauren Book, according to WEAR-TV. He explained how he had spent the year since his release assisting the homeless and completing odd jobs as a handyman.
A Florida man has been denied compensation for the 37 years he spent in prison after being wrongfully convicted of rape and murder. iStock/Getty
If the law were to be waived, it would not be the first time.
In 2020, a local Jacksonville man, Clifford Williams, received over $2 million in compensation after spending 43 years in prison. This is despite the fact that Williams, like Duboise, had had a prior conviction.
Duboise had been arrested in 1983 for the rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman. Despite minimal physical evidence linking Duboise to the crime, he was found guilty and originally sentenced to death by a Florida state judge.
After three years on death row, the Florida Supreme Court commuted his sentence to life in prison.
With the assistance of the Innocence Project, which helps to exonerate wrongly convicted felons, Duboise was able to uncover new DNA evidence that proved his innocence.
