Part 3/10:
Historically, courts and governments have struggled with determining fair compensation for wrongful convictions. Willis compared Fulbig’s case to the historic payout for Lindy Chamberlain, who served three years for a crime she didn’t commit. However, Fulbig’s case involved a two-decade incarceration, which arguably warrants even greater recognition and restitution.
Keen observers and critics agree that the current figure is woefully insufficient, suggesting the government needs to revisit its calculations and policy approaches. As Caroli Lee Katsenbanis pointed out, previous payouts in similar cases, such as Andrew Malard’s wrongful conviction in Western Australia, were considerably higher relative to the nature of the wrongful imprisonment.