Maryland approves more than $3M for a man wrongly imprisoned for three decades

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland officials on Wednesday approved more than $3 million in damages for a Baltimore man who spent 31 years in prison for a wrongful murder conviction.

Governor Wes Moore apologized to Gary Washington during a Board of Public Works meeting where the compensation was approved.

“On behalf of the entire state, I am sorry for the failure of the justice system,” Moore said, adding that while no amount of money can right the wrong, he prayed the state could provide compensation “in a way that your family deserves.”

Washington was a 25-year-old new father when he was convicted in 1987 of first-degree murder and a firearms crime in the fatal shooting of Faheem Ali the year before.

Moore said there was no physical evidence linking him to murder, and multiple witnesses said he was not the shooter. Several people also revealed his whereabouts at the exact time of the crime, Moore said.

“The prosecution’s key witness for the trial, who was 12 years old at the time, later recanted his identification of Mr. Washington as the killer, saying he had been manipulated by police and sent Mr. Washington to prison,” the prosecutor said. Democratic governor.

Washington, now 63, was released in October 2018, months after his convictions were vacated by the Baltimore City Circuit Court. In January 2019, the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s office dismissed the charges.

An administrative law judge ruled that Washington is entitled under state law to $94,991, or the current median household income in Maryland, for each of the 31 years he was wrongfully imprisoned.

In addition to receiving nearly $3 million for wrongful incarceration, he will receive more than $89,000 to resolve housing benefit claims.