Broward State Lawyer Harold F. Pryor broadcasts historic compensation for man exonerated by Conviction Assessment Unit

Broward State Lawyer Harold F. Pryor has made the historic announcement that Leonard Remedy, the primary man exonerated by the Broward State Lawyer’s Workplace Conviction Assessment Unit, has been accepted for $817,000 in compensation from the State of Florida for his wrongful conviction and imprisonment.

Remedy, now 53, can even obtain 120 hours of school tuition and costs beneath the claims invoice, which was signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

State Lawyer Pryor mentioned: “That is an historic second and this was the fitting factor to do. The Governor and our Florida Legislature did the fitting factor. We thank the Governor and the Florida Legislature for doing the fitting factor. We put apart our political variations and agreed {that a} man was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned, and that he must be compensated.”

“No amount of cash will get these years again for Mr. Remedy or give him peace however it’s a small gesture that acknowledges Mr. Remedy was wronged and that we, within the State of Florida and within the justice system, will assist him and compensate him.”

The claims invoice was shepherded by means of by State Rep. Michael Gottlieb. State Rep. Ashley Gantt, and State Senator Shevrin Jones.

This was the primary time in state historical past {that a} State Lawyer absolutely supported a claims invoice on behalf of an individual exonerated by a conviction evaluation or conviction integrity unit.

Since taking workplace in January of 2021, State Lawyer Pryor absolutely supported all efforts to help Remedy. Remedy has visited our workplace and took part in coaching periods by speaking to  prosecutors about his expertise and find out how to attempt to keep away from wrongful convictions sooner or later.

A jury convicted Remedy of a 2003 armed theft in Broward County and he was sentenced to life in jail. Remedy was launched after serving greater than 16 years in state jail.

Assistant State Lawyer Arielle Demby Berger, the top of the Conviction Assessment Unit, acquired a petition from Remedy on Dec. 3, 2019 and instantly started a evaluation of the case.

After her preliminary evaluation, she contacted the Innocence Mission of Florida to ask the group to help Remedy. Attorneys Krista Dolan and Seth Miller, with authorized intern Marc Simmons, from the Innocence Mission of Florida, have been retained by Remedy on Feb. 10, 2020.

Following the preliminary evaluation of the case, the State Lawyer’s Workplace had critical issues about Remedy’s guilt and continued incarceration. Prosecutors made the choice to launch Remedy from jail on April 14, 2020. After his launch, prosecutors continued to analyze the case and introduced their findings to the Impartial Assessment Panel.

The panel and the State Lawyer’s Workplace concluded that he was harmless and that it was in the very best curiosity of justice to overturn the conviction in December of 2020.

Demby Berger mentioned: “These instances are uncommon and take a number of time. That is precisely why conviction evaluation models and the chance for an exoneration are so essential to making sure justice. Whereas Mr. Remedy spent greater than 16 years in jail, the complete state has acknowledged this error and labored collectively to treatment it. I’ve gotten to know Mr. Remedy, “Lenny,” these previous years and he has inspired our work in addition to helped us practice future generations of prosecutors. Lenny has shared with me that his dream was sooner or later to work in a cubicle as an alternative of doing handbook labor. Now, Lenny can go to varsity and surpass his goals.”