21 Sep 2026 11:00
When Justice Isn't Enough: Louisiana's Fight Over Compensating the Wrongfully Convicted
Under Louisiana law, people who were wrongfully convicted and served years, even decades, in state prison are entitled to compensation through the Louisiana Innocence Compensation Fund. It's a simple principle: when the state gets it wrong, the state owes something to the people it wronged.
But in practice, that compensation has been anything but guaranteed. In this episode, we're joined by investigative journalist Richard Webster of Verite News, a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network, to break down how Governor Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill have fought compensation claims again and again, sometimes even in cases involving DNA evidence or where judges have personally apologized to defendants while overturning their convictions.
We dig into how the compensation process actually works, why plea deals often let prosecutors avoid public accountability rather than pursue justice, and reports that Murrill threatened to use the power of her office against an exoneree simply for publicly maintaining his innocence.
In this episode:
- How the Louisiana Innocence Compensation Fund is supposed to work
- Cases involving DNA evidence and judicial apologies where the state still fought compensation
- Why plea deals can shield prosecutors and police rather than serve justice
- Reports of retaliation against an exoneree for speaking publicly about his innocence
- What accountability looks like when the state won't admit it got it wrong
Guest: Richard Webster, Investigative Reporter at Verite News and a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network
