By Terri Dillard
On a humid Friday afternoon, June 27, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sat behind a polished desk, a row of pens before him, and signed four new bills into law. One carried a weight far beyond ink and paper. Senate Bill 130, titled Compensation of Victims of Wrongful Incarceration, was a long-overdue correction to a system that had failed some of Florida’s most invisible citizens: the wrongly imprisoned.
In the quiet corners of the Capitol, applause was subdued. But across Florida—and in the hearts of men like Sidney Holmes and Thomas Raynard James—it echoed like a verdict finally rendered.
Sidney Holmes: $1.7 Million for 34 Years Lost
Just after the bill’s signing, Sidney Holmes sat down to sign something himself, paperwork finalizing $ 1.7 million compensation from the State of Florida. He wore a modest shirt and the calm face of a man use to waiting. It had been two years since Holmes had been released from prison, and thirty-four since he had been taken from life.
In 1988, Holmes was 23 when he was convicted of a Broward County armed robbery he didn’t commit. He was sentenced to 400 years. There was no physical evidence linking him to the crime. His fate hinged on a flawed eyewitness identification. For more than three decades, he existed in a system built not to forgive, not to re-examine, but to forget.
Now, at 59, Holmes is free—and finally acknowledged. But what is 34 years of life worth? The state’s formula pays $50,000 per year of wrongful imprisonment. That breaks down to $136.88 a day. Or $4.60 an hour—for every hour of every day he spent behind bars.
No amount of money, of course, can buy back the birthdays, the family funerals, or the simple rituals of everyday life: walking freely, eating food of your choice, being called by your name instead of a number.
Some ask: Should those who stole decades of Holmes’ life—the detectives, the prosecutors, the gatekeepers of justice—face a similar sentence? But for Holmes, accountability is not about vengeance. It’s about truth. And dignity.
SB 130 was written for men like Holmes. For too long, even when exonerated, they were denied compensation because of prior unrelated felonies—a “clean hands” provision written into Florida’s 2008 compensation law. If your past wasn’t spotless, the state turned its back. SB 130 eliminates that requirement. It says: even if you’ve made mistakes, your wrongful conviction matters. Your innocence matters.
Thomas Raynard James: The Cost of Mistaken Identity
Thomas Raynard James knows the weight of injustice too. He was just 23 when he was sentenced to life in prison for a 1990 Miami murder. A witness had confused him with someone else. No DNA. No confession. Just a name that sounded familiar and a system too quick to close a case.
He spent 32 years inside.
In 2022, after investigators re-examined 20,000 pages of documents and re-interviewed witnesses, James was exonerated. “We have determined that Thomas Raynard James is actually innocent,” a state attorney told the court.
SB 130 would have helped him, too—sooner, with less red tape, fewer loopholes. For exonerees like James, the law finally bends toward justice. It no longer asks if you were perfect. It asks if the state was wrong.
A Landmark Law—and a Moment of Reflection
Attorney Natalie Figgers, who helped secure James’ release, was present at the SB 130 signing. Her words, delivered with measured pride, echoed the significance of the moment:
“Today, justice took a deeper breath.”
She thanked Governor DeSantis directly—unusual, but heartfelt—for choosing to sign a bill that had stalled in prior years. A bill that many considered politically risky. And yet, at this moment, it felt inevitable. SB 130 passed both legislative chambers unanimously.
“Your stories matter,” Figgers told exonerees. “This law finally reflects that truth.”
The Other Bills Signed That Day
SB 130 was the star of the day, but not the only bill DeSantis signed:
- CS/CS/SB 268 – Public Records: Addressing access and transparency.
- CS/CS/SB 584 – Young Adult Housing Support: Providing shelter support for young adults aging out of foster care or facing homelessness.
- CS/CS/CS/HB 289 – Boating Safety: Strengthening safety regulations on Florida waterways.
Each has significance, but none carries the weight of stolen time.
The Price of Freedom
Critics say the state’s payout is still too low. If Sidney Holmes’ 34 years are worth $1.7 million, does that imply his life was worth less than a dollar every 15 minutes?
Holmes is quiet on the matter. He says he’s focused on the future: on education—he now has a tuition waiver for 120 college credit hours—and on healing.
In Florida, the conversation about wrongful incarceration is evolving—but not finished. A few million dollars doesn’t erase trauma. It doesn’t pay for heart problems caused by years of institutional food and stress. It doesn’t cover lawyers’ fees or therapy or the slow, painful return to civilian life.
State attorney Pryor: “This was the right thing to do. We are very thankful to the governor and the Florida legislator for doing the right thing. We all agree that a man was wrongly convicted and imprisoned for an arm robbery that he did not commit, and that he should be compensated.”
“There is no amount of money that will give those years back to Mr. Homes, but this is a gesture that recognizes Mr. Homes was wrong and that we, in the state of Florida and in the justice system, will help him and compensate him.”
To the survivors of wrongful incarceration: you matter, your stories matter, and your future matters. This law finally reflects that truth, along with governmental accountability.
To the advocates, lawmakers, families and voices, loud and quiet, who stood in solidarity to make this possible: thank you. To Natalie G. Figgers, Esq. “thank you for helping make this happen!” To Governor DeSantis: Do The Right Thing stand with justice and sign SB 130 into law.
