Justice has finally come for Alan Crotzer!The Florida Senate voted today to pay Alan Crotzer for the 24 years he spent in prison on a bum rape charge. The House acted last week, meaning the ordeal is over for the former St. Petersburg man.
From last June:
Super neighborhood volunteer Norm Bungard has started a fundraising effort to assist former resident Alan Crotzer. The state House has supported compensation for Crotzer but this was stopped in the state Senate. He is trying to rebuild his life and support his family.
Here is an update from Norm:
This case has attracted national attention. Read what USA Today has to say:
From last June:
Super neighborhood volunteer Norm Bungard has started a fundraising effort to assist former resident Alan Crotzer. The state House has supported compensation for Crotzer but this was stopped in the state Senate. He is trying to rebuild his life and support his family.
Here is an update from Norm:
My "take away" from the Alan Crotzer experience is his comment upon being released from prison after 24 and half years is the above quote. He told me that his mother, who died while he was in prison some four years ago, told him to accept whatever God sends his way and to not be bitter, for bitterness only hurts him. What wisdom from his mother.
I called Alan and his wife Quibella to arrange for him to meet at the Lakewood United Church of Christ, which we did, on Friday. Evelyn Kaspar and friend (and generous donor), Sheldon Schwartz met with us as well. We counted the contributions ($3,365) and turned it all over to Alan. All donations save for a five dollar bill, were in the form of a check. Alan will send his personal thank you to the donors (address as shown on their check). Sheldon and I had a chance to speak with him and we agree that he is extremely well spoken, quite intellectual and inspirational. There is much more to this story but I wanted you to know the results.
Justice delayed - justice denied. Also, some still are skeptical. How sad. For all of us. Remember that the judge and prosecutor both apologized to Alan at his exoneration hearing. Remember too please that at no point did I or we point fingers. Ever. We also did not do this to embarrass the legislature to do something. I did call my state rep though and wrote to the governor.
That said, thanks to state Representative Rick Kriseman for the Times op ed mention that the legislature needs to take care of this matter.
We did something important at a grass roots level and many folks, donors or not, shared their good wishes and prayers for Alan and his family. I am especially grateful to the Times and Jon Wilson, who wrote the two articles, for without those, the outpouring would have been far less. (Alan received two $1,000 checks and I will make arrangements for the Hummer tour, or perhaps two tours.)
Thank you.
Norm
This case has attracted national attention. Read what USA Today has to say:
Consider the case of Alan Crotzer, who was exonerated last year of rape and kidnapping charges for which he had spent more than 24 years in a Florida prison. The state House voted overwhelmingly to pay Crotzer $1.25 million in compensation, but the state Senate refused to go along. Senate leaders were quoted variously as blaming a budget squeeze and a lack of time to address the issue before adjournment last month. But Florida had had plenty of time - more than two decades - to deny Crotzer the justice to which he was entitled. And the Legislature somehow found $4.8 million to deal with another injustice perpetrated by the state, compensating the family of a teenager who died after being roughed up by guards at a state boot camp.
Reform is happening - slowly. With the addition of Vermont this year, 22 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government now have laws allowing innocent ex-prisoners to seek compensation. That's helpful, though actually getting the money often requires a lawsuit or lengthy administrative appeals. And the reward can be puny: New Hampshire, for example, caps potential compensation at $20,000, no matter how long the wrongful imprisonment might have lasted.
Norm adds: ... a check made out to Alan Crotzer may in fact be mailed to the Lakewood United Church of Christ, 2601 54th Avenue South, St Pete 33712
Alan has a sister here I believe in Bartlett Park (not sure about that tho') and he spends some time here and he also has his residence, as I understand it, in Tallahassee....
Update: State owes debt to man it wronged , a column by Roosevelt Wilson
First posted on 6/13/07
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