For the nearly three decades that he was behind bars, Michael Sullivan’s mother and four siblings died, his girlfriend moved on with her life and he was badly beaten in several prison attacks.
All for a murder he long insisted he never committed.
Earlier this month, the 64-year-old Sullivan got a degree of justice when a Massachusetts jury ruled that he was innocent of the 1986 murder and robbery of Wilfred McGrath. He was awarded $13 million — though state regulations cap rewards at $1 million for wrongful convictions. The jury also found a state police chemist falsely testified at the trial though his testimony isn’t what guaranteed Sullivan’s conviction.
A cap on wrongful convictions is so dumb as it means there is no good incentive to stop it from happening
Sorry credit card company, I have a cap on repayment amounts.
That’s a bit bullshit isn’t it…
Rob someone of half their life for a crime they didn’t commit, then cap what they can be awarded from you to slightly more than a $33,000 a year salary.
It’s especially aggregious when false evidence was used in this conviction. That POS police chemist knew they were fabricating evidence, potentially putting an innocent man behind bars.
