COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A Cincinnati lawmaker says a provision added to the pending Ohio budget bill aims to address an improper court interpretation of a law providing financial compensation for wrongfully imprisoned inmates.
The Columbus Dispatch (https://bit.ly/2q1Rg0K ) reports that backers of the change say some former inmates have been wrongly denied compensation.
The Ohio Public Defender, Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association and the Ohio Innocence Project agree on the proposal.
Republican Rep. Bill Seitz says the Ohio Supreme Court wrongly interpreted the 2003 law to limit payments to cases where constitutional procedural errors occurred after a defendant’s sentencing, not during investigation or trial.
Seitz’s provision to address that was part of the state budget bill approved by the House. Seitz says he also anticipates passage in the Senate, which is considering the legislation now.
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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, https://www.dispatch.com
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