Compensating people who are wrongfully convicted is a hard sell in Georgia and other states

Michael Woolfolk poses for a photo at the state capitol, Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

This story was updated on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 6:20 p.m.

Earlier this year, Michael Woolfolk attended a legislative committee in Georgia where lawmakers considered for a third year whether to compensate the 45-year-old for the 19 years he spent behind bars for a 2002 killing before charges against him were dismissed.

Behind him sat Daryl Lee Clark, also 45, who spent 25 years in prison for a 1998 murder conviction that was vacated over a series of legal and police errors. It was his second attempt to obtain compensation.