A New Jersey man who spent more than 20 years in prison on a double murder conviction before being released for lack of evidence won’t be eligible for compensation unless he can actually prove he was innocent, a state appeals court has ruled.
A three-judge Appellate Division panel in Kamienski v. New Jersey ruled Wednesday in a case of first impression that a habeas corpus ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in plaintiff Paul Kamienski’s favor was insufficient evidence to show that he was eligible for compensation under the state’s Mistaken Imprisonment Act.
