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Finance panel advances $5.1 million claims settlement bill for wrongful-conviction awards
Summary
The Senate Finance Committee recommended Senate File 5202, an annual claims settlement bill that would appropriate about $5.1 million for vetted claims including $4.5 million for Marvin Haynes and smaller awards to two other men and a corrections injury claim.
The Minnesota Senate Finance Committee on May 6 recommended passage of Senate File 5202, the annual claims settlement appropriation bill, after hearing from counsel and staff about a set of vetted claims against the state.
Sen. Clark presented the bill and explained that, following subcommittee review, the measure as amended would appropriate roughly $5.1 million to resolve a small number of vetted claims, the majority tied to wrongful convictions and exonerations. Jason Comlat, assistant deputy revisor and counsel to the joint claims subcommittee, and committee staff described the established vetting process used before appropriations are recommended.
The bill lists individual awards, including $250,000 for James Lamar Davis, who served about three years before his conviction was vacated; $350,000 for Clayton Davis Gross, who spent about 52 months incarcerated before acquittal at retrial; and $4.5 million for Marvin Haynes, who was wrongfully convicted at age 16 and spent 19 years in prison before new evidence led to dismissal of charges. The bill also includes $4,570 for a Department of Corrections injury claim for a permanent ankle injury sustained at MCF-Stillwater, calculated under statutory guidelines.
Committee members questioned whether these claims originated in county prosecutions and whether counties could be charged back. Counsel and staff explained that the Legislature—s 2014 Exoneration and Incarceration Act established the statutory framework that funnels these claims through the state; two of the claims were identified as coming from Hennepin County and one from Mille Lacs County. Staff said a statutory change would likely be required to pursue a formal chargeback to counties.
Sen. Pappas moved that SF5202 as amended be recommended to pass; the committee approved the motion and will send the bill to the Senate floor.
Next steps: the committee—s recommendation moves SF5202 forward to the full Senate for consideration.
