CA doesn't pay for time in County Jail awaiting trial....which appears to be about two years in this case. If convicted in 1996, this guy would get approximately $300K for the 10 years he lost in prision, but only if his claim is approved. So far, 10 claims out of 47 have been approved.
$300K isn't much for 10 miserable years....but at least it is something. Better than getting a million in a long protracted lawsuit, when the lawyer and fees eat up half of it, and you wait 5 years for a final judgment.
I'm hopeful DNA evidence will prevent these types of sad stories in the future.
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