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Tennessee Grants $1 Million To Man Wrongly Convicted And Jailed For 31 Years
Tennessee Grants $1 Million To Man Wrongly Convicted And Jailed For 31 Years
Source: Screenshot courtesy of CBS News

Tennessee Grants $1 Million To Man Wrongly Convicted And Jailed For 31 Years

Tennessee Grants $1 Million To Man Wrongly Convicted And Jailed For 31 Years Source: Screenshot courtesy of CBS News

Tennessee has awarded a man $1 million after he spent 31 years in prison for a crime he never committed.

READ: Kansas Man Who Spent 23 Years In Prison For A Crime He Didn't Commit Won't Receive Compensation

Lawrence McKinney, 61, was incarcerated in 1978 for rape and burglary before being freed in 2009, according to a report from the Huffington Post. McKinney was released after DNA evidence failed to link McKinney to the crime he was convicted of. Upon being released, McKinney then had to go through a years long legal battle to receive monetary compensation and exoneration.

"I've been a criminal defense attorney for 40 years, this is probably one of the most moving events I’ve ever experienced," David Raybin, McKinney's attorney, said. "To have someone in prison that long and to fight for years, for six years to get him some justice, it has just been an enormous undertaking."

After the parole board refused to exonerate him twice, McKinney was finally exonerated last year by current Governor Bill Haslam, which allowed him to seek compensation from the state.

"In the eyes of the judicial system, Mr. McKinney is innocent," Haslam previously said in a statement at the time. "While I appreciate the hard work and recommendations of the Board of Parole, in this case, I defer to the finding of the court charged with determining Mr. McKinney's guilt or innocence."

McKinney was compensated $1 million, with the payment divided into one $353,000 upfront payment, followed by $3,350 monthly payments for a minimum of 10 years. The $1 million compensation is the highest permitted by the state.

Source: Huffington Post