The Baltimore Banner recently published an article highlighting that BGL client, Tyrone Jones, may finally be eligible to seek compensation for his wrongful conviction. Mr. Jones was wrongfully convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to life in prison and served ten years behind bars before being exonerated. Brown, Goldstein & Levy attorneys Neel Lalchandani and Michael Abrams are part of the team representing Mr. Jones and provided comment to the Banner.
Despite being sentenced to life in prison, Mr. Jones was deemed ineligible to seek compensation for his wrongful conviction as the Walter Lomax Act previously only covered felony convictions. Maryland law identifies most conspiracy convictions as misdemeanors, regardless of the sentence length. HB 1086, which went into effect on July 1, 2024, amends the Walter Lomax Act by expanding who is eligible to seek compensation under the Act.
Initially, Mr. Jones lost before the Office of Administrative Hearings. But BGL understands that advocating for justice for clients often extends beyond the courtroom. As such, the BGL team (including Lauren Kelleher and Michele Hall) – in partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project (MAIP) and Mr. Jones, among many other organizations and individuals – were thrilled to see the legislative fix to the Walter Lomax Act.
“We disagreed with how the court interpreted it. We thought there was a better interpretation, and we were going to pursue that on the appeal,” Michael told The Banner. “But we also recognized that the legislature could change this with a single word.”
“It’s past time for this wrong to be righted,” said Neel to the publication. He also called on Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown to settle the case: “Not every case has to be this long, drawn out fight with lots of litigation and time and resources.”
ABOUT NEEL LALCHANDANI
Neel, who serves as Vice Chair of the MAIP Board of Directors, has helped secure several of the largest payments in Maryland history for victims of police misconduct. He has represented several clients who each received significant state compensation amounts under the bill, including exonerees Kirk Bloodsworth, Leslie Vass, Bernard Webster, and Paul Madison. Neel has significant experience with complex litigation in both state and federal court, as well as in arbitrations. Read more about Neel here.
ABOUT MICHAEL ABRAMS
Michael joined BGL in September 2022, where he represents clients in various appeals, civil rights, criminal, commercial litigation, and employment matters. During his time as the PJC Murnaghan Fellow, Michael presented oral argument and filed principal briefs and cert petitions – in addition to authoring amicus briefs – in state and federal courts, seeking to enforce civil rights and advance racial equity at the appellate level. Read more about Michael here.
ABOUT BGL
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, D.C. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.