Estate of Jacobs v. State

INMAN, Judge.

*396 In this case, we must determine whether the estates of four deceased persons may recover from the government compensation for the wrongful convictions of decedents who received posthumous pardons of innocence. Although both the State and this Court solemnly acknowledge the profound harm caused by the wrongful imprisonment of any person, we affirm the Full Commission's order dismissing plaintiffs' claims because the statute does not allow compensation based upon posthumous pardons of innocence.

Background

On 6 February 1971, amidst a series of violent confrontations between black…