Wrongly convicted brothers each get $750K payout

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By JONATHAN DREW

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Two brothers who falsely confessed under police interrogation to killing an 11-year-old girl were awarded $750,000 each in compensation for the three decades they spent behind bars — a stint that left one of them a broken man, according to his family.

Henry McCollum, 51, appeared calm as a North Carolina commission awarded the money to him and half brother Leon Brown, 47, during a hearing. Brown did not attend; he is in the hospital, suffering from health problems including post-traumatic stress disorder, the brothers' lawyer said.

McCollum and Brown were released last September after a judge threw out their convictions, citing new DNA evidence that points to another man in the 1983 rape and killing of Sabrina Buie. McCollum had been the longest-serving inmate on North Carolina's death row. Brown had been sentenced to life in prison.

McCollum, who has been living with his sister, said he is happy the money will enable him to support himself and help his family.

FULL story at link.


Henry McCollum holds a framed copy of his pardon before a hearing on compensation by the state for his wrongful conviction on Sept. 2, 2015 in Raleigh, N.C. McCollum was the state's longest serving death row inmate when he was released in 2014 after three decades in prison after being wrongfully convicted in a girl's death. (AP Photo/Jonathan Drew)

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/7d9b5d38ce0941459c4773cdbd97ea26/wrongly-convicted-brothers-could-get-750000-payout

[flamingdem]

1. Should be more

ten times more.

[erronis]

2. Agree. And the prosecutors and other state officials involved should pay.

I think it's about time that we remove the indemnity that goes along with official government employment. If there are egregious actions that caused harm then the people involved should have legal and financial penalties. This goes for federal, state, and locals. Personally, I'd like to see elected officials held personally accountable for bad decisions, too.

[cstanleytech]

5. I agree, indemnity should only apply for something thats an accident and not for things

that are deliberately done especially not for those done with malice.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

3. A million a year minimum.

[deutsey]

4. What a nightmare to know you're innocent

while wasting away for decades in prison.

[tomm2thumbs]

6. hope it is managed for them as well, so doesn't go by the way of lotto winners' typical outcomes

they deserve more and definitely deserve the assistance to manage the payout to their long term benefit

[Feeling the Bern]

7. Black. . .southern state. So not surprised anymore.

[Sunlei]

8. not enough. State should provide homes, education, legal guidance & unlimited healthcare for life.