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Christopher Dunn, whom a Missouri judge ruled was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for more than 30 years, remains in prison after a series of court rulings Wednesday. The Missouri Attorney General has been pushing to keep Dunn and other wrongfully convicted prisoners behind bars.
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Christopher Dunn's situation is similar to that of Sandra Hemme, who spent 43 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of a woman in 1980 before her conviction was overturned. In both cases, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has fought to keep them in prison.
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Dunn was convicted of murder and assault in 1991, largely on the testimony of two boys who later recanted, saying they were coerced by police and prosecutors. But Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office plans to appeal, which would likely block Dunn’s release.
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Missouri state law promises $100 a day for each day of life lost to prison on a wrongful conviction. For Sandra Hemme, who was first convicted in 1981, that’s roughly $1.6 million — which some critics say is too little for more than four decades behind bars.
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Sandra Hemme has spent 43 years in Missouri prison for a grisly 1980 murder that her lawyers say was actually committed by a police officer. A judge overturned her conviction last week, but the Missouri Attorney General is seeking to block her from being freed.
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Christopher Dunn is serving a life sentence for the 1990 murder of Ricco Rogers. But two adolescent eyewitnesses have recanted, and prosecutors say they no longer believe that Dunn is guilty.
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The National Registry of Exonerations says 153 innocent people were freed last year. A new report credits an increase on innocence organizations and conviction integrity units working on cases.
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Johnson had long maintained he did not shoot and kill Marcus Boyd in 1994. A judge ruled last year that “clear and convincing” evidence showed Johnson was innocent and freed him after 28 years.
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Missouri Gov. Mike Parson rejected a bill that would allow compensation for more people who were wrongfully convicted of a crime. Parson argued that taxpayers should not be responsible, but supporters of the legislation say that exonerees deserve to be compensated for the state's mistake.
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The vetoed bill would have increased payments for Missouri prisoners who were freed after being found innocent, and expanded who is eligible for compensation. But Republican Gov. Mike Parson said the state should not have to pay for the mistakes of local prosecutors.
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Opponents of the death penalty want Missouri to abolish the practice. They say it's not a deterrent — the system is flawed and it gives too much power to the government.
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With just a day left before the Missouri legislative clock runs out, some of the bills left unfinished include one to legalize sports betting, another to create an open enrollment system for public schools, and a ballot item to raise the threshold to amend the Missouri Constitution.