Ronnie Long who was wrongfully imprisoned for 44years will be compensated for only 15 years
Ronnie Long accused of false rape allegation serves 44 years in prison in North Carolina. Out of those 44 years, the state will be compensating only 15, he says he deserves more.
Back in 1976, this black man was accused of raping a white woman, following which he was sentenced to life imprisonment. In August 2020, 44 years later, he was found not guilty because more than 40 fingerprints and other evidence found at the scene was never submitted to the court. He received a check of $750,000 as compensation.
The State’s law establishes that anyone wrongfully imprisoned is entitled to $50,000 per year they spent in prison, but the amount is capped at $750,000. As per this law, Long, 65, won’t be compensated for those 29 years he was imprisoned.
Long told USA Today, that “You took my 20s, my 30s, my 40s, my 50s and you still talking about this is worth that?”
Long’s criminal attorney in a statement termed the compensated amount as “inadequate”. Jaime Lau further adds that he lost his parents when he was in prison and is left with no prior savings. “His ongoing financial security is the last thing he deserves after so much has been taken away from him in these 44 years,” he continued.
Other states too have a similar capping system. Mississippi allows $50,000 for each spent in prison but only for ten years. The guy, Curtis Flowers, who have been on trial six times with each trial turning out to be a mistrial has been wrongfully imprisoned for 23 years.
Lau says that the authorities need to reconsider the capping as fellows like Long has suffered massive harm. As of now, the governor has full authority over the subject of compensation. This full authority in single person’s hand is criticized by Lau.
Lau says that he is blessed to be free and is looking for a new place with his wife, Ashleigh.
Long and Flowers can be taken as the lucky ones because maybe there are people who are still imprisoned for a crime they didn’t commit. Not everyone gets “Annalise Keating” as their attorney.
