Wisconsin Senate Approves $136K for Wrongful Conviction

The Wisconsin Senate has approved a bill that would increase compensation for a wrongfully convicted man.

Robert Lee Stinson spent 23 years in prison for a Milwaukee homicide he didn’t commit.

Stinson asked the state claims board for $115,000, or $5,000 for every year he spent behind bars, as well as $14,000 in attorney fees. The board awarded him $25,000, the maximum compensation under state law. The board recommended state pay him another $90,000.

The bipartisan bill would pay Stinson the additional $90,000 from the state’s general fund. Sen. Glenn Grothman introduced an amendment bumping that up to $136,000, saying he thought Stinson deserved more.

The Senate approved the amendment on a voice vote and the bill 33-0 Tuesday. The measure now goes to the Assembly.