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Texas court: Compensate man wrongly convicted in cop's death

Posted at 8:58 PM, Dec 18, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-18 21:58:53-05

HOUSTON (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court has ruled a state agency was wrong to deny compensation to a man who was wrongfully imprisoned — including nearly a decade on death row — for the fatal shooting of a Houston police officer.

Alfred Dewayne Brown was eligible for nearly $2 million in compensation under state law after a judge in May 2019 declared him innocent in the 2003 slaying of Officer Charles Clark.

But the Texas comptroller’s office rejected Brown’s application, arguing it was not sure the judge who declared Brown innocent had the jurisdiction to do so.

But in a Friday ruling, the Texas Supreme Court said the comptroller’s office had exceeded its authority with its actions.