Maryland Governor Wes Moore Signs Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project (MAIP) Supported Bill H.B. 1086 Into Law

The Bill Proposes Changes to Law Governing the Compensation of Exonerees

Annapolis, MD (April 25, 2024) – Governor Wes Moore today signed Bill H.B. 1086, Compensation for Individuals Erroneously Convicted – Alterations into law, building on the Walter Lomax Act by expanding compensation benefits for exonerees. Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project (MAIP) Executive Director Shawn Armbrust witnessed the signing along with Tyrone Jones, who was represented in his exoneration proceedings by the University of Baltimore Innocence Project Clinic and is represented in his compensation efforts by Brown, Goldstein & Levy.

This expanded bill holds significant meaning to Jones, who spent 11.5 years of his life behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

In June 1998, Jones was home from college for the summer when he was arrested for the murder of a teenage boy in Baltimore, based on an eyewitness description of the shooter’s clothing. Gunshot residue tests allegedly suggested that Jones had fired a weapon. Jones maintained his innocence but was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 1999 for Conspiracy to Commit Murder, considered a misdemeanor in the state of Maryland.

Initial challenges to the conviction based on the reliability of gunshot residue tests were unsuccessful. Michele Nethercott, former director of the University of Baltimore Innocence Project Clinic and current Of Counsel to MAIP, ultimately took on his case and also uncovered crucial evidence that had been withheld from the defense: an initial interview with the eyewitness, in which he stated he had not seen the shooter.

Based on that evidence, in January 2010, the Baltimore City Circuit Court reversed Jones’ conviction. In May 2010, prosecutors formally dismissed all charges against Jones, acknowledging his wrongful conviction and facilitating his release.

Until today’s expanded compensation bill, however, Jones was not eligible to apply for state compensation for his exoneration because the law only applied to those convicted of felonies, not misdemeanors. The enactment of H.B. 1086 means that Jones now has a chance to be compensated for his 11.5 years behind bars.

“Life after being wrongfully convicted is like missing a bus,” said Jones. “Sometimes the bus doesn’t come back to get you; the bus leaves, and you fall behind. Today is surreal. This could make a huge difference for me and my family. The bus came back.”

HB 1086 also improves upon the Walter Lomax Act in other ways, including:

  • Adjusting post-release benefits to include financial support, education, training, and healthcare.
  • Mandating written notification by the state about any reduction or suspension of compensation.
  • Repealing outdated laws about compensation requests.
  • Allowing estates to claim compensation for deceased individuals.
  • Establishing criteria and timelines for compensation eligibility.

“We applaud the Attorney General’s office for taking the lead on this important bill and the governor for signing it into law,” said Shawn Armbrust, Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project. “The impact of legislation can sometimes seem distant, but this bill will have a direct, immediate, and unmistakable impact on Mr. Jones and other innocent people.”