Legislature considers wrongly convicted compensation laws: preview

A Grand Junction man is the first person in Colorado to be completely cleared of all charges through DNA evidence.

After nearly 20 years behind bars Robert Dewey finally left as a free man. 

But he left empty handed, and now all of that may be about to change.

Dewey was sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for the rape and murder of a Palisade woman.

After re-testing of DNA evidence, Dewey became the first and only case in the state that could qualify him for compensation.

While most states already offer that, Colorado isn't one of them.

But now the Colorado Legislature is considering a bill that would provide compensation for people who've been wrongly convicted.

Officials have been discussing the bill for weeks now, if passed the only person directly affected in this state would be Robert Dewey.

Dewey said, “I'm not saying it's anyone's fault or anything like that, it is what it is, it happens, lets deal with it and move on…but the taxpayers and voters have put people in office to do certain jobs and it's time for them to step up, do their job and do what's right, right now I'm the only one, whose to say there won't be more, if it doesn't pass- it'll be like walking out the door of the joint again, with nothing."

But until state legislators act, Dewey is on his own. Now 51 years old, with nearly 20 years lost behind bars.

And since Dewey was serving a life sentence without parole, educational resources such as computer classes and job training weren't available.