PHOENIX — Eleven individuals wrongly convicted of crimes have applied for millions of dollars in compensation from the state, swamping a state fund that has only $3 million.
Their applications for relief came as a new law took effect Jan. 1. Four of those applications were filed mere seconds after the calendar flipped to the new year, underscoring the demand for a program that recognizes errors that, in some cases, led to years of wrongful imprisonment.
Attorney John Leader filed an application at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1 on behalf of Gregory Jaskiewicz, a Tucson man who spent nearly four years in prison before his conviction and sentence were vacated in 2023.
