A Detroit man, Desmond Ricks, spent twenty-five years of his life in jail over a wrongful conviction. He was imprisoned for a murder he did not even commit. In addition, after his exoneration, the state of Michigan has now asked him to return the compensation he received under Michigan’s Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act.
According to the act, a person receives $50,000 as compensation for each year that they spend in jail. The money is given to those who have been proven to be wrongfully incarcerated. Ricks got his compensation among 77 other exonerees.
However, his attorney said that he suffered the worst harm and spent 25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. The state compensation comes with a clawback loophole. The state can ask for the compensation back if the wrongfully convicted person gets compensation in a third-party situation…