A
A NEW
A NEW STATE LAW THAT'S SUPPOSED TO COMPENSATE THE WRONGLY CONVICTED HAS YET TO PAY OUT
ANY MONEY SO FAR SO FAR NOT
HELPING ANYONE. SO TONIGHT 13
INVESTIGATES SHOWS YOU HOW SOME
PEOPLE EXONERATED OF A CRIME
ARE STILL WAITING ON THE
STATE'S PROMISE. OUR SANDRA
CHAPMAN EXPLAINS WHY VICTIMS
OF LEGAL MISTAKES FEEL LIKE
THEY'RE FACING TRIAL ALL OVER
AGAIN. THEY WERE ONCE CONVICTED
OF DEADLY ARSON, ROBBERY AND
MURDERS. NOW CHRISTINE BUNCH.
KEITH GOOPER AND DAVID CAMM ARE
ALL FREE EXONERATED TO BUILD
NEW LIVES AFTER THE SCORES OF A
WRONGFUL CONVICTION. BUT 13
INVESTIGATES HAS DISCOVERED A
NEW STATE LAW PASSED LAST YEAR
TO COMPENSATE THOSE WRONGFULLY
CONVICTED HAS NOT PAID OUT ONE
DIME UNDER THE LAW. THOSE WHO
HAVE HAD CONVICTIONS TOSSED OR
OVERTURNED ARE ENTITLED TO
50000 DOLLARS FOR EACH YEAR
OF INCARCERATION IF THEY AGREE
NOT TO SUE. BUT THERE IS
ANOTHER BIG CATCH. THE INDIANA
CRIMINAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE GETS
TO DECIDE WHO'S INNOCENT AND
ULTIMATELY WHO'S ELIGIBLE. EACH
CASE FACES A STRINGENT REVIEW.
THEY'RE GOING TO TALK TO
EVERYONE THAT OPPOSE ME AND GET
THEIR OPINION TO WEIGH IN TOO.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY WHEN THE
DECISION COMES DOWN IT WILL BE
BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY
BELIEVE I'M INNOCENT. THE
PROCESS COULD TAKE UP TO 18
MONTHS NOT TO MENTION TIME LOST
TO THE PANDEMIC. DOES THAT FEEL
LIKE THE SPIRIT OF WHAT YOU
THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE?
IT ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT. BUT
I'M. I MEAN IT'S IT'S VERY HARD
TO FEEL LIKE I AM GOING TO BE
TRYING TO PROVE MY INNOCENCE
FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
ACCORDING TO THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE INSTITUTE, A TOTAL
OF 15 HOOSIERS HAVE APPLIED TO
THE FUND SINCE LAST NOVEMBER,
INCLUDING CHRISTINE. IN 1996
SHE WAS CONVICTED AND SENTENCED
TO 110 YEARS FOR THE ARSON AND
DEATH HER 3 YEAR OLD SON WITH
YOU. BUT IN 2012 17 YEARS LATER
SHE WON A NEW TRIAL AFTER
NORTHWESTERN CENTER FOR
WRONGFUL CONVICTION DISCOVERED
EVIDENCE HAD BEEN ALTERED. THE
PROSECUTOR IN A CASE SIMPLY
DROPPED THE CHARGES. I DIDN'T
HAVE THE LUXURY OF GOING BACK
TO COURT AND GETTING A NOT
GUILTY AND AN ACQUITTAL. I WAS
RELEASED BASED ON CHANGES IN
FIRE SCIENCE THAT PROVED THAT
THERE WASN'T AN ARSON IN MY
HOME. IT'S A CONTINUATION
OF SOMETHING THEY'VE LIVED WITH
TOO LONG. THIS WAITING FOR
THEIR LAWYERS, WAITING FOR THE
COURT. FRED WATSON IS A
PROFESSOR WITH THE WRONGFUL
CONVICTION TEAM AT THE IU
MCKINNEY SCHOOL OF LAW. SHE
SURPRISED AS MANY AS 15
HOOSIERS HAVE APPLIED TO
INDIANA'S EXONERATION FUND. SHE
SAYS DECIDING WHO'S ENTITLED TO
THE MONEY IS NOT ALWAYS READILY
APPARENT. SO I HAD THAT THAT
GROUP OF 15 BEFORE ME. YOU KNOW
WHAT I WOULD START WITH IF IT
WERE ME I WOULD LOOK FOR THE
DNA CASES WHERE THERE WERE NOT
OTHER CONTRIBUTORS CASES LIKE
COOPER'S IN CAMPS BUT THOSE
EXONEREES AREN'T APPLYING TO
THE INSTEAD THEY'RE SEEKING
BIGGER PAYOUTS WITH LAWSUITS. A
MAN ONCE CONVICTED OF KILLING
HIS FAMILY AND THEN LATER
ACQUITTED. HE FILED A CIVIL
RIGHTS LAWSUIT AGAINST POLICE
AND PROSECUTORS ASKING FOR 30
MILLION DOLLARS. LAST YEAR THE
INDIANA COURT OF APPEALS
CLEARED THE WAY FOR CAM'S HEFTY
LAWSUIT. HE TOLD WILL BE
ACQUITTED. FORMER INDIANA STATE
TROOPER ALLEGES DNA EVIDENCE
WAS SUPPRESSED AND COST HIM 13
YEARS BEHIND BARS FOR THE
DEATHS OF HIS WIFE AND TWO
CHILDREN IN ELKHART COUNTY
ISSUED THIS PARDON THIS MORNING
FOR THE ROBBERY CONVICTION.
GOVERNOR HOLCOMB CLEARED KEY
COOPER'S NAME AFTER DNA FROM A
ROBBERY CASE MATCHED SOMEONE
ELSE. LIKE A THOUSAND POUND A
WEIGHT LIFTED OFF MY CHEST. I
FEEL GOOD. I'M GLAD I'M FREE.
COOPER SPENT EIGHT YEARS IN
PRISON AND SEVEN YEARS SEEKING
A PARDON. NOW HE'S SUING THE
ELKHART POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR
POTENTIALLY MILLIONS. CHRISTINE
INITIALLY FILED A FEDERAL
LAWSUIT BUT IT WAS DISMISSED.
AND EVEN THOUGH SHE SERVED MORE
TIME THAN CAMP AND GOOPER, SHE
CAN ONLY HOPE TO COLLECT 850000
DOLLARS FROM THE STATE. THIS IS
TAKING AN EMOTIONAL TOLL AND
SOMEWHERE I JUST WANT TO SAY
THAT THIS IS GOOD AND I CAN MOVE FORWARD. IN THE END DID
SAY THEIR CONVICTIONS WERE
VACATED. THEY'RE NOT GUILTY OR
INNOCENT. THE INDIANA CRIMINAL
JUSTICE INSTITUTE SAYS IT WILL
CAREFULLY REVIEW EACH CASE.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE GREG
STEUERWALD WHO HELPED
CO-SPONSOR THE LEGISLATION SAYS
HE UNDERSTANDS BUT WOULD LIKE
TO SEE THIS PROCESS MOVE ALONG
MORE SWIFTLY. NOW THERE'S ALSO
SOME QUESTION ABOUT A REENTRY
PROGRAM THAT'S TIED TO THE FUND
AND WHETHER IT WILL PROHIBIT
THESE EXONEREES FROM