Quartet of payments comprise multi-million-dollar claims law

Each year, the joint House-Senate Subcommittee on Claims decides which tort claims against the state should be funded.

This year’s law contains just over $5.1 million in Fiscal Year 2027 payments, including $4.5 million to Marvin Haynes. He was wrongfully incarcerated for 19 1/2 years on a murder conviction that was overturned because it was based on false evidence and due process was violated.

Haynes sought relief under the Imprisonment and Exoneration Remedies Act that provides a compensation process for cases where a person was exonerated of a felony for which they were wrongfully incarcerated.

Also under the act, Clayton Groves will receive $350,000 for spending nearly 52 months in prison before his sexual misconduct conviction was vacated by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and James Davis will be paid $250,000. He spent almost three years in prison on the exonerated convictions before it was vacated “due to ineffective assistance of counsel.”

The law also contains a $4,570 payment to Mark Carroll for a personal injury claim. He sustained permanent right ankle injuries while performing assigned duties at the Stillwater prison.

State statute permits a claim “for losses suffered while incarcerated in a state correctional facility or for injuries suffered by and medical services provided to persons injured while performing community service or sentence-to-service work for correctional purposes or while incarcerated in a state correctional facility.”

The law, which takes effect July 1, 2026, is sponsored by Rep. Luke Frederick (DFL-Mankato) and Sen. Doron Clark (DFL-Mpls).

HF5074*/SF5202/CH105

HF5074* / SF5202 / CH105