Raising Funds To Get Help For A Wrongful Conviction
Pursuing a legal case to obtain an exoneration can quickly become an expensive endeavor, especially if laboratory testing or expert witnesses are needed. Fortunately, there are many social justice organizations and crowdfunding platforms dedicated to providing wrongfully convicted individuals with the financial resources they need to pursue their case.
Of course, even once an individual manages to secure their release from prison after they are exonerated from a wrongful conviction, they still often face significant personal financial difficulties. It can be difficult for a person to find stable employment or housing once released from prison due to the stigma of the criminal justice system, even if a person has been completely cleared of any wrongdoing. Pennsylvania remains one of the few states that does not have a wrongful conviction compensation statute, which would automatically pay individuals who are exonerated from a wrongful conviction in the state criminal justice system.
Some individuals who are released from prison following an exoneration turn to online platforms such as GoFundMe to raise money to help them cover living expenses until they are able to get back on their feet.
If an individual was wrongfully convicted due to the misconduct of police or prosecutors or other individuals, they may also have the option of filing a civil lawsuit against the government and other at-fault parties to seek an award of financial compensation for the monetary and personal losses they have incurred due to their wrongful conviction and incarceration. Fortunately, many attorneys who represent victims of wrongful convictions are willing to work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that a newly-exonerated person will not need to spend money up front to hire an attorney to advocate for their rights and interests