LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- On Wednesday, a proposed bill which would compensate Kentuckians wrongfully convicted of a crime, took its next step in the legislative process. 

Johnetta Carr was just 16 years old when she was wrongfully convicted of murder. 

"I went in an interrogation room innocent at 16 years old, left there 11.5 hours, I was verbally abused," Carr said.

Carr was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder. She spent four years incarcerated and then served nine and a half years on parole before being exonerated.

"My only hope was that I didn't do this," Carr said.

She's since been pardoned because of what she said was misconduct by investigators.

"You can't get time back, you can't get your teenage years back," Carr said. "You can't get life back."

Mike VonAllmen was 22 when he was wrongfully convicted of a violent sexual assault. In 1981, a 22-year-old woman was abducted from a Louisville bar, then beaten and raped. With detectives' help, the woman and police created a composite sketch of the suspect.

"I ordered a cold beer and had no idea I'm being looked at as a suspect in this," VonAllmen said.

He was arrested for the crime and sentenced to 30 years. He served 11 years in prison and remained on parole for another 16 years before proving his innocence with the help of the Kentucky Innocence Project.

"I'm unable to accurately describe the pain," VonAllmen said.

These exonerees have had their names cleared, but the consequences of their wrongful convictions continue to shape their lives.

Carr wanted to become a paralegal, and would have been years into that career at this point. VonAllmen would have bought his dream home years early, and possibly already paid it off.

Now, they are advocating for House Bill 206, which seeks to compensate those wrongfully convicted in Kentucky.

Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, is sponsoring the bill.

House Bill 206 would compensate wrongfully convicted Kentuckians for those lost years. It would also pay for exonerees to go to college in Kentucky, their health insurance, and attorney fees.

The bill, if passed, would provide $65,000 for each year an exoneree spent behind bars. That amount increases to $75,000 per year for those on death row. Additionally, those who spent time on parole, were under supervision post0incarceration, or wrongfully registered as sex offenders would receive $32,500 per year.

Payments would be issued twice a month over three years. Additional benefits include:

  • Coverage of attorney fees up to $25,000.
  • Tuition waivers for up to 120 credit hours at public postsecondary institutions in Kentucky.
  • Reimbursement for restitution, fees, and court costs paid during the wrongful conviction.
  • Relief from child support payments that accrued during incarceration.

Suzanne Hopf of the Kentucky Innocence Project emphasized the difficulties exonerees face even after their release.

"It becomes very challenging for them to get out, to leave prison, and then to get set up in a meaningful life," Hopf said.

If an exoneree has already reached a settlement, that amount will be deducted from what the state is required to pay. If an exoneree seeks a settlement after receiving money from the state, that person will be required to pay the state back.  

While financial compensation offers some relief, exonerees like Carr believe true justice requires more.

"No amount of money can make up for the years lost," she said. "It's an acknowledgment of the harm that was caused and accountability."

In four years, this is the furthest the proposed bill had made it in the legislative process.

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