ATLANTA (AP) — Earlier this year, Michael Woolfolk attended a legislative committee in Georgia where lawmakers considered for a third year whether to compensate the 45-year-old for the 19 years he spent behind bars for a 2002 killing before charges against him were dismissed.
Behind him sat Daryl Lee Clark, also 45, who spent 25 years in prison for a 1998 murder conviction that was vacated over a series of legal and police errors. It was his second attempt to obtain compensation.
Georgia is one of 12 states with no law compensating people found to have been wrongfully convicted. Individuals seeking compensation take their cases to the legislature, where they seek a lawmaker to sponsor a resolution to pay them. Critics say it mires the process in politics.
Lawmakers have been considering legislation to move the decision to judges, but now it's unclear if that will pass this year.
“We need to take care simply of people who have lost so many years of their lives and their ability to make money, have a job, have a family, create stability,” Republican Rep. Katie Dempsey, a sponsor of the Georgia bill, told The Associated Press. “Many are at the age where they would be looking at their savings, and instead, there’s none.”
Missouri lawmakers have sent the governor a bill updating the state's compensation law, and legislatures in Florida and Oregon also are considering updates of their laws. Montana is considering an update of its expired program and Pennsylvania is among those, like Georgia, looking to create one.
Of the 1,739 people who have filed wrongful compensation claims under state laws since 1989, 1,328 received compensation, according to data from George Washington University law professor Jeffrey Gutman.
That doesn't include cases in states like Georgia, which has no law outlining a process.
Since 1995, 12 Georgians have received compensation and at least 11 more have sought it, according to the Georgia Innocence Project. Even some people with strong cases were turned down because they failed to convince lawmakers they were innocent, advocates say.
The latest version of Georgia's proposal would require individuals to prove their innocence to an administrative law judge. They could receive $75,000 for each year of incarceration and reimbursement for other costs such as fines and fees. There would be an additional $25,000 for each year of incarceration awaiting a death sentence.
“The way that the state has treated these individuals by taking away their freedom and liberty and effectively ruining their lives, by wrongfully convicting them and then failing to expeditiously compensate them and help them get back on their feet, doesn’t sit well with me,” said Democratic Rep. Scott Holcomb, a bill sponsor and former prosecutor.
Whether a person was released based on a finding they were not guilty or based on trial or law enforcement error is often a sticking point. Advocates say those wrongfully convicted deserve compensation either way because they are innocent until proven guilty, but some lawmakers are hesitant to pay them.
Senate Majority Whip Randy Robertson, a former sheriff’s deputy, was the lead opponent last year of individual requests for compensation and an effort to pass a compensation law. He takes issue with the term “exonerated,” which he says is too often used in cases where convictions are overturned based on trial errors.
Robertson this year introduced a different compensation bill with stricter rules that didn't get a hearing.
Florida is the only state that prevents exonerees with previous felony convictions from qualifying for compensation, according to an analysis by the advocacy group The Innocence Project.
Florida Republican state Sen. Jennifer Bradley wants to change that. For the third year she is sponsoring a bill to end the rule, arguing that an unrelated charge should not prevent people who were wronged by the state from being compensated for their “lost liberty.”
A bill in the Oregon Legislature would update a law passed in 2022 that provides exonerees $65,000 for each year they were wrongfully imprisoned, on the condition they file a successful petition proving their innocence. The new bill comes amid criticism that few exonerees have received compensation since the law took effect.
Missouri's legislature recently passed and sent to the governor a measure expanding a restitution program for people wrongly convicted of felonies. The legislation would raise compensation from $100 to $179 per day of imprisonment and remove a requirement that innocence is proven by DNA analysis.
Many Georgia lawmakers have said they don’t want to play judge and hope the state process changes.
If the legislature doesn’t pass a bill before adjourning April 4, Woolfolk and Clark may not be compensated this year. The House overwhelmingly approved five requests that could fail in the Senate.
Starting a career at 45 is hard, Woolfolk said, and he missed his children’s upbringing. He said he is sick of trying to convince lawmakers to help him.
Clark, who does not have children, got a standing ovation from House lawmakers last year who voted to compensate him.
This year, his “hope and prayers" are that he also gains some help.
Associated Press reporters Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida, Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, and David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.
Kramon and Payne are corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
*Michael Woolfolk poses for a photo at the state capitol, Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Michael Woolfolk poses for a photo at the state capitol, Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish police on Wednesday arrested Istanbul’s mayor — a popular opposition leader and key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — and several other prominent figures as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links. It was a dramatic escalation in an ongoing crackdown on the opposition and dissenting voices in Turkey.
The state-run Anadolu Agency said prosecutors issued warrants for the mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, and some 100 other people. Among those detained was Imamoglu's close aide, Murat Ongun.
Authorities also closed several roads around Istanbul and banned demonstrations in the city for four days in an apparent effort to prevent protests following the arrest. Private NTV television said two Istanbul district mayors were among those detained.
Critics say the crackdown follows significant losses by Erdogan’s ruling party in local elections last year amid growing calls for early national elections. Government officials insist that the courts operate independently and reject claims that legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated.
“We are facing great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not be discouraged,” Imamoglu said earlier in the day in a video post on social media.
Germany criticized the arrests, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer describing them as “a serious setback for democracy.”
People gathered later Wednesday near Istanbul’s police headquarters, carrying posters of the mayor and banners with his photo around their shoulders. Others chanted slogans and raised their fists in the air as riot police cordoned off the facility.
Erdogan, a populist with increasingly authoritarian tendencies, has led Turkey as prime minister or president for more than 20 years and is now the longest-serving leader in the Turkish republic’s history. His current term runs until 2028 but he has indicated he'd like to serve longer — something he could achieve with the help of a friendly parliament.
Imamoglu was arrested as police searched his home, but it wasn't immediately clear if anything was confiscated. His wife, Dilek Imamoglu, told the private Now television that police arrived at their residence before dawn and that the mayor was taken around 7:30 a.m.
The Istanbul Stock Exchange’s main index dropped by 7% over the news of his arrest, automatically triggering a temporary halt in trading to prevent panic selling and stabilize the market. Trading later resumed but was again halted in the afternoon. The Turkish lira lost some 7% of its value against the dollar.
Anadolu, the news agency, said that Ekrem Imamoglu and several others are suspected of extortion, money laundering and irregularities concerning tenders and procurements, among other crimes.
Imamoglu is also suspected of aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, by allegedly forming an alliance with a Kurdish umbrella organization for the Istanbul municipal elections, the report said. The PKK has waged a decadeslong insurgency within Turkey and is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara, Washington and other allies.
A day earlier, Istanbul University invalidated Imamoglu's diploma, effectively disqualifying him from running in the next presidential race — a university degree is a requisite for running in elections under Turkish law.
The mayor’s party — the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP — was to hold a primary on Sunday where Imamoglu was expected to be chosen for its candidate in future presidential elections.
With all the arrests Wednesday, that vote was in doubt but party chairman Ozgur Ozel told the opposition-aligned Halik TV channel that it would go ahead as planned. Ozel said Imamoglu’s detention was “an attempted coup against our next president.”
In a social media post in English, Imamoglu said he stands “resolute, entrusting myself not only to the 16 million residents of Istanbul but to the 86 million citizens" of Turkey.
Hundreds also gathered outside CHP’s headquarters in Ankara, Turkey's capital, as lawmakers from the party staged a protest inside the parliament and disrupting proceedings there before marching out.
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party condemned the detentions and called for the immediate release of all taken into custody.
The dawn raid on Imamoglu's home and his arrest was a "disgrace that will not be forgotten for centuries. This operation, which shatters faith in justice, is an attempt to redesign politics through the judiciary,” Tulay Hatimogullari, the party’s co-chairwoman, wrote on X.
As he was being arrested, Ongun, the mayor's aide, appealed for support on X, though he at the time did not appear to know that the mayor was also being taken into custody.
“They think they can silence us and prevent us from defending and supporting Ekrem Imamoglu,” Ongun said. “I entrust Ekrem Imamoglu to the Turkish nation. Protect, watch over and support him. They cannot be defeat the nation.”
Separately, police also detained a prominent investigative journalist, Ismail Saymaz, for questioning, the opposition-aligned Halk TV reported.
Meanwhile, internet-access advocacy group netblocks.org reported Wednesday that access has been restricted in Turkey to popular social media platforms.
In nullifying Imamoglu’s diploma, the university cited alleged irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus to its Faculty of Business Administration. Imamoglu said he would challenge the decision.
Later Wednesday, students at the university held a protest to denounce Imamoglu's arrest. No violence was immediately reported.
Imamoglu faces multiple lawsuits, including allegations of trying to influence a judicial expert investigating opposition-led municipalities. The cases could result in prison sentences and a political ban.
He is also appealing a 2022 conviction of insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council, a case that could result in a political ban.
Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkey’s largest city in March 2019 in a historic blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century. The party pushed to void the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, alleging irregularities.
The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which Imamoglu also won. The mayor retained his seat following local elections last year, during which his party made significant gains against Erdogan’s governing party.
Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writers Lorian Belanger in Bangkok and Cinar Kiper in Bodrum, Turkey, contributed to this report.
Security have cordons off the area around City Hall following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Security agents cordon off the area around City Hall following the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Police have cordons off the roads lead to the Vatan security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is supposed to be taken , following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
A woman walks past police cordons blocking the roads leading to the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Police have cordons off the roads lead to the Vatan security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is supposed to be taken, following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
People chant slogans, one holding a banner featuring a photo of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, while protesting his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
People chant slogans as they protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
People chant slogans as they protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Police cordon off the roads leading to the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
People gather, holding a banner featuring a photo of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, to protest his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Women stand in protest outside the City Hall following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People chant slogans as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
People chant slogans and hold posters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Police cordon off the roads leading to the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
People chant slogans and hold posters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A woman protests, holding a poster of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in front of a police cordon blocking the roads leading to the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Backdropped by a billboard featuring a photo of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, people chant slogans as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People chant slogans as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A woman protests, holding a poster of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in front of a police cordon blocking the roads leading to the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People chant slogans and hold posters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People chant slogans as they protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Police cordon off the roads leading to the Vatan Security Department, where Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A man wears a banner featuring a photo of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as he and others protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
FILE.- Istanbul Mayor and Republican People's Party, or CHP, candidate Ekrem Imamoglu take photographs with supporters during a campaign rally in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, March 21, 2024.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)
FILE - Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu addresses his supporters in front of the Istanbul courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, file)
