TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man who was wrongfully convicted of murder would be eligible for about $235,000 in state compensation under proposed legislation. Floyd Bledsoe was convicted in 2000, for the 1999 murder of Camille Arfmann in Oskaloosa. He was sentenced to life in prison but was released December 8, 2015, after a DNA test and suicide notes indicated his brother, Tom Bledsoe, killed Arfmann. Representative Ramon Gonzalez introduced a measure recently that would allow people wrongfully convicted to bring suit in state court within two years of their release. Compensation is doled out using a formula based on the federal minimum wage and time spent in prison. Under the formula, Bledsoe would be eligible for $235,248. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that payments would come out of the state's general fund.
The AP is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, as a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members, it can maintain its single-minded focus on newsgathering and its commitment to the highest standards of objective, accurate journalism.