Mike Haridopolos Praises Senate for Approval of $1.35 Million Claims Bill

Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, released the following statement after the Senate voted 38-1 to approve the claim bill for William Dillon on Thursday.

Today, we saw final passage of a bill I personally sponsored, Senate Bill 2, Relief of William Dillon.This bill provides $1.35 million to a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for 27 years of his life. While none of us can begin to understand the trauma that he went through while in prison, we can all agree that it is only right that we restore some semblance of justice to a fellow Floridian who was subject to such a failure of our justice system.

Cases like these are why I fought to establish the Innocence Commission, as I believe it is incumbent upon us as elected officials to make sure each of our citizens is served by government. And when that government fails, we do all we can to correct that failure as expeditiously and fully as possible.

I applaud my fellow lawmakers for approving this bill today, and I couldnt be happier that we are finally delivering justice to Mr. Dillon.

Dillon, 52, spent 27 years in seven different prisons after he was arrested for murder and rape, from which he was cleared in a DNA test in 2008.

The House companion to SB 2, HB 141, was approved last week in a 107-5 vote.

The bill now awaits Gov. Rick Scott's signature.

Editors note: Scott signed the bill at 3 p.m. March 1, 2012.