James Langhorne spent 27 years in prison after being convicted of a Baltimore City murder he did not commit. He was exonerated in February and awarded more than $2.7 million in compensation. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
A Baltimore City man who was wrongly convicted of a murder nearly three decades ago will receive almost $3 million from the state — compensation for 27 years locked in prison for a crime he did not commit.
The Board of Public Works unanimously approved the payment Wednesday — and offered a public apology — to James Langhorne, who was exonerated in February in the 1996 death of Lawrence Jones.
Langhorne, in comments to the board, said the compensation is welcome, but that more should be done to help those trying to reenter society after decades behind bars.
“There’s not a lot of resources for people in our situation,” said Langhorne, who said he felt ill-prepared for his abrupt release. “You come home different from people who are generally released. You’re just let out. There’s no preparation.
“You didn’t even really know you were getting released. The moment comes up, they realize that you really didn’t commit the crime. They file something. You go to court and you just come home,” he said.
But years in prison meant Langhorne — and other exonerees — are released with no savings, no credit, no insurance or other support.
James Langhorne said that he and others who are released after being exonerated are often retraumatized after being abruptly released with no preparation for life outside. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
“You come out exonerated but you’re facing so many difficulties,” he said. “I’ve known of people who were exonerated who couldn’t maintain and now they’re back in prison for crimes they did commit. So that in itself is a travesty.”
Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D) recounted her meeting with Langhorne, in which he described going to prison for a crime he did not commit as “a trauma” and being retraumatized by being released without preparation or assistance.
Miller, chairing the board meeting Wednesday in place of Gov. Wes Moore (D), told Langhorne she was “really sorry to hear you were faced with a situation” where assistance “wasn’t waiting for you as we should have been.”
“Your comments that you shared with me are noted and I assure you we will follow up on behalf of the state,” she said.
The settlement approved by the board includes compensation for the time Langhorne spent in prison as well as housing costs and attorney’s fees.
The payments follow funding formulas established in the Walter Lomax Act, a 2021 law named for a man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent nearly four decades in prison. Under the law, compensation for proven or pardoned wrongful incarceration is determined by the length of time served and the state’s median income.
Currently, that formula sets the payment at $101,652 annually, or more than $2.7 million for the 27 years Langhorne served.
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People can also get housing, vocational training and health care. The board approval included $99,720 in housing assistance for Langhorne from the state Department of Housing and Community Development and a nearly $4,700 payment to Flowers Keller LLP, the law firm that represented him.
“Nearly three decades were stolen from Mr. Langhorne, depriving him of the opportunity to pursue a career, to build a family, to contribute to our state,” Miller said.
Langhorne was arrested in 1996 and charged with the murder of Lawrence Jones. He was convicted in Baltimore City two years later despite several problems in the case against him, including witness testimony that was either unreliable or conflicting. Another witness recanted their account and prosecutors were found to have withheld information about other potential suspects.
That conviction was vacated in February after a review of the case by the conviction integrity unit of the Baltimore City Office of the State’s Attorney. Langhorne had spent 9,870 days in prison by that time.
Langhorne said he has attempted to move past his wrongful conviction.
“It’s wonderful to hear people say how sorry they are for what we went through. I myself, I don’t hold you at fault. I understand that things go wrong,” Langhorne said. “Yes, I am angry at those who violated their trust as public servants to go above and beyond to ruin a man’s life, a father’s life, to obtain a conviction, so that is what I am angry at. But to be angry overall serves no purpose. That’s something you have to let go.”
Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D) apologized to Langhorne and said the state should do more to help those who are wrongfully convicted to rejoin society. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
Miller, in her apology to Langhorne, added “there are no words to express how deeply sorry we are for what was taken from him and for the failure of our justice system.”
“And again, while no amount of money can raise the injustice you face over the time that was stolen from you, I hope today’s action by the sport provides meaningful support, healing and comfort as you step into the next chapter of your life. May peace be with you.
While the money paid to Langhorne and his attorneys comes entirely from the state, that is about to change. The state budget that took effect Tuesday includes a requirement that jurisdictions where someone was found to have been erroneously convicted have to share equally in the cost of compensation.
Because Langhorne’s case before an administrative law judge was finalized and sent to the board before July 1, however, Baltimore City will not have to pay any of the costs.
‘Discrepancy’ adds $25 million to software contract
The board also unanimously approved — with little discussion — a request to amend a software purchase that increases the cost to the state by 63%.
Two years ago, the board approved a contract to license software valued at more than $40.4 million. The contract piggybacked off a deal by the city of Mesa, Arizona.
Documents filed with the Board of Public Works said that problems with internal financial systems used by the Department of General Services and the Maryland Department of Transportation led to “financial discrepancies” in the cost of the contract. The problem resulted in an additional $18.1 million in retroactive costs and another $7.5 million for the contract that runs through the end of September.
“While DGS and MDOT have not yet been able to resolve these challenges due to technical limitations of the FMIS system, both agencies are aware of the situation and are working towards a resolution,” according to information provided to the board by the Department of General Services. “We will continue to monitor the situation and take necessary steps as appropriate to help ensure these matters are resolved.”