Sometimes an outrageous injustice prompts legislative steps toward reform. In the U.S., the state of Nebraska’s first DNA exoneration was the infamous case of the so-called “Beatrice Six.” Five falsely confessed (in exchange for lighter sentences) to the brutal 1985 rape-murder of 68-year-old Helen Wilson in Beatrice, NE. The sixth, Joseph White, insisted he was innocent, was convicted, and sentenced to life. After losing on appeal, he battled the state for years for the right to test the crime scene DNA. When finally tested in 2008, it excluded all six and linked to the true perpetrator.
Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning proclaimed the Beatrice Six “100 percent innocent.” They had served more than 76 years in prison. Publicity about the case prompted Nebraska to pass a wrongful conviction compensation law in 2009 that pays up to $500,000 to a wrongfully convicted person. Thus far members of the Beatrice Six have settled with the state for compensation ranging from $180,000 to the maximum $500,000 for Joseph White, who was tragically killed in a work-related accident before receiving his award.
As yesterday’s district court ruling reported here by the Associated Press indicates, the wrongful conviction suits in the case continue.
State compensation laws for wrongful conviction have not fully complied with the Innocence Project’s, federal, and other recommendations in many ways. For example, for those wrongfully convicted who serve more than ten years, Nebraska’s cap at $500,000 falls short of the $50,000 per year of wrongful incarceration recommended by Congress and President Bush. Twenty-three states still have no statutes to compensate the wrongfully incarcerated, and often the process is unfairly difficult for those who qualify in states that do provide compensation. Decency and justice demand better treatment for those who face continuing hardships after exoneration.
Wrongful Convictions Blog 