Exonerees urge Missouri lawmakers to expand restitution program for wrongfully convicted

Galen Bacharier, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read
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JEFFERSON CITY — A week after he was released from prison after 28 years for a murder he didn't commit, Lamar Johnson sat in front of Missouri lawmakers and urged them to expand programs that would compensate those wrongly convicted by the state.

"While I have regained my freedom, I have come out with nothing but the clothes purchased for me by my friends and attorneys," said Johnson, who was released from prison six days ago in St. Louis. "I return home free, but with no ID, no driver’s license, no credit history, no work history, no rental history. I have no car, no furniture, no place to call home."

Johnson, alongside several other people exonerated after being wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to either life in prison or death row, spoke in favor of two proposals that would expand the state's restitution law granting annual payments to those wrongfully convicted.

Lamar Johnson (center) testifies to a Missouri Senate committee in support of legislation that would expand the state's restitution program for those wrongfully convicted by the state. Johnson was released from prison after 28 years last week for a murder he was wrongfully convicted for.
Lamar Johnson (center) testifies to a Missouri Senate committee in support of legislation that would expand the state's restitution program for those wrongfully convicted by the state. Johnson was released from prison after 28 years last week for a murder he was wrongfully convicted for.

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Under current Missouri law, only cases of innocence proven through specific types of DNA testing are eligible for restitution. Such was not the case for Johnson, whose case was re-considered after a key eyewitness recanted their testimony, as well as Kevin Strickland, who was freed in December 2021 after more than four decades in prison.

Both of their cases received national attention, but because of the law, neither man was entitled to restitution from the state under law. Instead, their attorneys set up GoFundMe pages, attracting thousands of donations from the public.

Ricky Kidd, a Kansas City man wrongly convicted of murder and exonerated in 2019 after 23 years in prison, said he hadn't "gotten a penny from the state," despite a sentence that "took away decades of my prime earning years" to support his family.

"I hope that you will pass this legislation so I can finally get justice, as well as closure," Kidd said.

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Two bills from Sens. Brian Williams and Steve Roberts, both St. Louis Democrats, would allow exonerees to file a claim within two years of being freed, with the possibility of being paid $179 for each day they were imprisoned (with a maximum of $65,000 per year). Similar legislation has been proposed in the House by Minority Leader Crystal Quade, a Springfield Democrat.

"I cannot imagine anyone believing that they could or should not be compensated by the state that wrongfully convicted them in prison," Roberts said.

Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com or on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri exonerees urge lawmakers to expand state restitution program