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Regular Session, 2012
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 124
BY REPRESENTATIVE DIXON
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To urge and request that Innocence Project New Orleans submit an application to the
Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of Louisiana for review of a new court cost
to fund the Innocence Compensation Fund.
WHEREAS, Innocence Project New Orleans is a nonprofit law office that represents
innocent persons serving life sentences in Louisiana and Mississippi and assists them with
their transition from incarceration to freedom upon their release; and
WHEREAS, since its inception in 2001, Innocence Project New Orleans has freed
twenty wrongfully convicted persons and cleared the name of one other man who died in
prison; and
WHEREAS, Act No. 486 of the 2005 Regular Session of the Legislature established
an application process for a person to receive compensation upon a showing of factual
innocence and established a total amount of compensation of one hundred fifty thousand
dollars calculated at a rate of fifteen thousand dollars for each year of incarceration; and
WHEREAS, Act No. 262 of the 2011 Regular Session of the Legislature increased
the total amount of compensation to two hundred fifty thousand dollars calculated at a rate
of twenty-five thousand dollars per year of incarceration to be paid at a rate of twenty-five
thousand dollars annually; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate that this amount of compensation be increased to a total
amount of compensation of five hundred thousand dollars calculated at a rate of twenty-five
thousand dollars per year of incarceration to be paid at a rate of twenty-five thousand dollars
annually; and
WHEREAS, legislation proposed during the 2012 Regular Session of the Legislature
of Louisiana provides that the Innocence Compensation Fund shall be managed by the
Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 124
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WHEREAS, R.S. 13:61 creates the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of
Louisiana and provides that no law to provide for a new court cost or fee or to increase an
existing court cost or fee shall be enacted unless first submitted to the Judicial Council for
review and recommendation to the legislature as to whether the court cost or fee is
reasonably related to the operation of the courts or court system; and
WHEREAS, an appropriate means of providing sustained funding to the Innocence
Compensation Fund is needed.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request that Innocence Project New Orleans submit an application to the Judicial
Council of the Supreme Court of Louisiana for review of a new court cost to fund the
Innocence Compensation Fund.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Innocence Project New Orleans and the Judicial Council.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE