Man wrongfully convicted for child sex abuse receives $1.5M from Virginia after over 20 years in prison
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: A man, who spent more than 20 years in prison for child sexual abuse that the state now claims he did not commit, was given $1.5 million in compensation, according to officials. In 1994, Michael Haas was found guilty of child sexual abuse charges brought against him by two of his sons, when they were children. However, both of them later changed their stories, and evidence reportedly suggested that this was because a counselor encouraged them to do so.
In 2022, the Virginia General Assembly passed SB 928 and HB 1463, which resulted in the issuance of a writ of actual innocence by Attorney General Jason Miyares and former Attorney General Mark Herring. Haas will also receive $1,530,653 in compensation, as per reports.
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Haas was was freed from prison in 2017, but it was not until 2022 that a court actually declared him innocent, admitting that his conviction had been incorrect, as reported by WRIC. This was because he had the support of both Miyares and Herring.
'I proclaimed my innocence'
Haas stated during a February hearing before a House committee, "I spent over 23 years in prison for a crime that never happened. From the very first accusations and all throughout my case I proclaimed my innocence,” per FoxNews.
Additionally, Hass is eligible for free tuition at the Virginia Community College system thanks to the legislation. Republican delegate Terry Austin from the Covington region personally apologized to Haas on behalf of the Commonwealth during the committee hearing. He said, "Mr. Haas we apologise, and we know this had to be traumatic and difficult for your life, and I just want to personally tell you, the Commonwealth’s sorry," he said, per Wavy.
What happened to Michael Haas?
Haas' and his wife Elaine's marriage was in trouble in the fall of 1993. The couple drank too much and quarreled all the time. Their three children, only names as JH, 13, AH, 11, and nine-year-old LH, all lived with them in rural Powhatan County, Virginia, about 30 miles west of Richmond, per The National registry of Exonerations. Haas was found guilty of sodomy committed against his two sons in 1992 and 1993, when they were, respectively 11 and nine years old, at a bench trial in the Circuit Court of Powhatan County on July 22, 1994. In each instance, he received a life sentence.
Haas petitioned for visitation rights with his children on February 15, 1994. Family therapist Susan Boyles met AH and LH on February 18, 1994, and she told Elaine that the boys had admitted to her that Haas had repeatedly sodomized them as early as 1992. Soon she called the police, per Findlaw.