Man Gets $4.1 Million for Being Wrongly Convicted

Tim Masters was investigated for murder from the age of 15 after Peggy Hettrick died near his home in 1987. In 1999, he was put behind bars for a murder charge. Then, in 2008, after new evidence has been provided showing how Masters was not the murderer, he was freed. His attorneys managed to get him $4.1 million from the county for the wrong sentence. However, they say that it is only a start to pay back for the ten years of his life that he will never be able to get back. Wymore, who represents Tim Masters, says that someone should apologize because this isn't just a simple accident. Masters says he would pay $10 million to get his ten years back, but unfortunately that is impossible. The evidence provided by the prosecutors in 1999 was not enough to make sure that Masters was guilty beyond doubt, but he was still sentenced to jail. First of all, there was no physical evidence and they relied only on a psychologist who never talked to Masters and just doodles and sketches by Masters. Tim is now living in his aunt's basement attending school to become an aircraft mechanic. He wants to live a normal life now.

This is ridiculous how Tim Masters was sentenced to jail without any solid proof that he committed murder. If the jury and the judge viewed the case more clearly, it would have been obvious that the prosecutors didn't provide enough evidence to make sure that Masters was guilty beyond doubt. Tim Masters was sent to jail for ten years (and could have been more if his attorneys didn't find new evidence) that he can never get back. No matter how much money he is given now, it would not be enough to make up for the fact that he doesn't have a family or job. Therefore, I feel that to avoid any more cases like this, the judge should make sure that it is absolutely clear that a person is guilty before they are charged. Tim Masters's life was ruined because of a mistake by others. There should be no more victims like him.

Check this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/16/tim.masters.settlement/index.html