It was a long wait for Robert Clark, who spent 24 years in Georgia prisons for a crime that he did not commit. Clark finally got his compensation last week, according to an article published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed a resolution last week to pay Clark $1.2 million after he was cleared in 2005 by DNA evidence which showed he wasn’t involved in a violent 1982 Cobb County rape.
Aimee Maxwell of the Georgia Innocence Project told the newspapers, “Clark will be very satisfied with this result and with the successful end to the process”. The soft-spoken Clark came to the Capitol a few times to watch the bill make its way through the General Assembly. Legislators were taken up by his humble attitude, his calmness in the face of his wrongful conviction, and his patience despite spending a good deal of his life in prison. He received a hearty round of applause in the chambers and was even hugged by some of the lawmakers, the newspaper reported.
Georgia Innocence Project members have volunteered to help Clark manage the $1.2 million, which he will receive in installments over 15 years. Meanwhile, Clark will continue to work in construction and will probably buy a house, Maxwell said. The money, she hopes, will help Maxwell rebuild a life that was left in shambles by a wrongful conviction.
To date, the Georgia Innocence Project has helped free 202 wrongfully convicted people using modern DNA technology. Every year hundreds, if not thousands, of people are wrongfully arrested and convicted for a variety of reasons – from mistaken identity to false testimony.
Don’t become a statistic. If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in Georgia, call for a free consultation. Each day you delay may cost you dearly. Aggressive and experienced Georgia criminal defense lawyers have the legal expertise it takes to get you the best possible result and focus on getting your case dismissed!