Wrongfully imprisoned for 27 years, denied $1.35 million compensation, because of teenage marijuana possession 30 years ago
Saturday, June 13th, 2009 at 6:20 pm | By: Radical Russ
The next time someone dismisses the legalization question because nobody goes to prison for simple marijuana possession, remind them that prison is not the only detrimental effect of a marijuana possession charge. It can cost you a job, your children, your home, and in the case of one Florida man freed from prison by DNA evidence, it could cost you $1.35 million
William Dillon - 2008 (truthinjustice.org)
(FloridaToday.com) William Dillon didn’t have “clean hands” before he was sent to jail for 27 years for murder, so he is barred from compensation under Florida’s new Wrongful Incarceration Act.
The 49-year-old Satellite Beach man must find a sponsor in the Florida Legislature to write a special claims bill for the 2010 session.
Dillon spent 27 years in prison for the murder of James Dvorak, but he was released last year when a judge granted a new trial based on DNA evidence. He became a free man when the state decided not to prosecute again.
(MyFoxOrlando.com) Even though he says no amount of money will give him back the years he lost, Dillon wants the state to pay him $50,000 for every year he spent locked up under the wrongful incarceration act.
However the act has a clean hands provision which does not allow compensation for anyone with an unrelated prior felony conviction.
Back when Dillon was 19 he was convicted of possession of marijuana.
That’s $1,350,000 that the State of Florida owes William Dillon for wrongfully caging him for 27 years of his life. That’s Nelson Mandela time! Wrongfully convicted of murder, freed by modern science, and he cannot have his justice because he was a teenage pot smoker that got caught. Please — 1979, when Dillon was 19, was the modern peak of marijuana usage in America. Sixty percent of high school seniors had tried marijuana, half had used in the past year, and one-third had used in the past month.
In case you’re wondering how William Dillon managed to get convicted of a murder he didn’t commit? Read on…
William Dillon and attorney, 1981 (truthinjustice.org)
(Innocence Project of Florida) Dillon’s 27 years in jail represent the longest time served by any of the 232 individuals exonerated nationwide as a result of DNA test results. Dillon was exonerated when his innocence of a 1981 murder was proved by DNA evidence that came as a result of a 2007 motion filed by IPF and attorney Mike Pirolo. Dillon was subsequently released November 18, 2008.
The state’s case against Dillon was based largely on the testimony of an admitted perjurer who had a sexual liaison with the case’s lead investigator during the investigation, a fraudulent dog scent expert, a partially blind eyewitness and an individual whose own charges in a rape case were dropped in exchange for his testimony, which included numerous details at odds with known facts in the case.
Wow, that’s a real bang-up beyond-a-reasonable-doubt prosecution there, ain’t it?
I don’t have an opinion one way or the other on the legalization of marijuana, but the William Dillon thing is not about marijuana. It’s about Florida law and compensating innocent people for undeserved incarceration in Florida prisons. The law in question is relatively new (2005?) and is not perfect. However, Mr. Dillon has recourse and will be compensated. A proposed bill has already been sent to the Florida Senate (Florida Senate – 2010 (NP) SB 22 By Senator Haridopolos 26-00107-10). http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/2010/Senate/bills/billtext/pdf/s0022.pdf. Please go to the attached link and read the proposed bill. No amount of money will ever make up for William Dillon’s incarceration.
Sounds like it’s Florida’s attempt to loophole out of paying for a ridiculous mistake. 27 years is a long time, 50k a year is too low of an amount, compared to what kind of settlements have been paid out for frivolous lawsuits in the past. Guess where my tourism money wont be spent?
Yeah, this is the kind of job that the ACLU was made for.
Stoked, thanks for posting this Russ. Hope I was able to help out Mr. Dillon. This is a call to arms if you are in FL people. This man was robbed of his entire life! Lets not allow this to happen!
ACLU please……
I HATE FLORIDA LEGISLATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1