Lamar Johnson speaks to Missouri lawmakers about payouts for those wrongfully imprisoned
Published: Feb. 20, 2023 at 10:25 PM CST
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - Less than a week after being exonerated of murder and leaving prison a free man, Lamar Johnson spent his day in Jefferson City urging lawmakers to pay him and others who have been wrongfully convicted.
Two Democratic state senators from the St. Louis area have proposed legislation to give $65,000 for every year wrongfully imprisoned.
In Johnson’s case, he would get $1.8 million.
In Missouri right now people only get compensated if they are exonerated based on DNA evidence.
Johnson, and others, said when they’re released from prison, they have nothing and they want the law to change.
Until that happens, a GoFundMe page for Johnson has raised over half a million dollars so far.
Copyright 2023 KMOV. All rights reserved.
