After spending almost two decades in prison for a crime he did not commit, a Florida man will receive a historic $817,000 payout from the state.
Fifty-three-year-old Leonard Cure makes history also by being the first man to be man exonerated by the Broward State Attorney’s office.
On Friday, June 9, Gov. Ron DeSantis stamped a claims bill that not only gives Cure nearly a million to help restore his life but also approved finances to go to his education. His office says the bill is set to provide relief for the “tragic consequences” of his wrongful conviction, according to the Sun Sentinel.
The man will also receive 120 hours worth of college tuition and fees.
Assistant State Attorney Arielle Demby Berger, who was instrumental in securing Cure’s freedom and setting up a process for individuals like him to have a fair shake at justice, said, “These cases are rare and take a lot of time.”
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“This is exactly why conviction review units and the opportunity for an exoneration are so crucial to ensuring justice. While Mr. Cure spent more than 16 years in prison, the entire state has recognized this error and worked together to remedy it.”
In a statement, State Attorney Harold Pryor said, “We put aside our political differences and agreed that a man was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned and that he should be compensated.”
“No amount of money will get those years back for Mr. Cure or give him peace, but it is a small gesture that recognizes Mr. Cure was wronged and that we, in the State of Florida and in the justice system, will help him and compensate him,” Pryor continued.
The 53-year-old’s exoneration did not come overnight.
Cure was convicted in 2004 of armed robbery with a firearm and aggravated assault with a…
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