HB 4451 - Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act

• Allows individuals wrongfully convicted and imprisoned in Michigan to bring compensation claims in court of claims if conviction was reversed/vacated, charges dismissed, or acquitted on retrial, supported by DNA or equally reliable scientific evidence.

• Requires plaintiff to prove by clear and convincing evidence that conviction was based on a crime not committed and was vacated or resulted in acquittal, excluding cases where plaintiff was convicted of related offenses from same transaction.

• Awards up to $60,000 per year of imprisonment, plus economic damages for lost wages, legal defense costs, and post-release medical expenses, plus reasonable attorney fees paid separately without reduction from compensation.

• Excludes compensation for time served under concurrent or consecutive sentences for other convictions and for injuries sustained during imprisonment, though injured parties may pursue separate claims.

• Requires expungement of arrest records, fingerprints, conviction, and sentence from criminal history upon court finding of wrongful conviction, and must be filed within 3 years of exoneration (5 years for those released before act takes effect).