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Payments For Wrongly Imprisoned Approved In Colorado

DENVER (AP) - Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper gave a personal apology to man who was wrongly jailed after signing a bill into law Wednesday to compensate the wrongly imprisoned.

The new law would allow exonerated former prisoners or their survivors up to $70,000 for every year wrongly spent behind bars for a felony conviction. The person would have to be proved innocent, not cleared on legal technicalities or appeals.

Hickenlooper signed the bill in front of Robert Dewey of western Colorado. Dewey was cleared by DNA evidence after spending more than 17 years behind bars for someone else's crime. After signing the new law, Hickenlooper shook Dewey's hand and apologized for Dewey's ordeal.

LINK: House Bill 1230

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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