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1 New Section; Posthumous Exoneration and Annulment. Amend RSA 651 by inserting after section 5-b the following new section:
651:5-c Posthumous Exoneration and Annulment. The legislature recognizes that on occasion mistakes may be made in the criminal justice process that do not become evident until after the person who was the subject of the mistakes is deceased, or with the passage of time the manifest injustice of a law or policy for which someone was arrested and prosecuted and punished becomes apparent after the person is deceased. In cases where the judgment of history is that an individual now deceased suffered an unjust criminal prosecution, it is within the power of the legislature to acknowledge the injustice and posthumously exonerate and annul the arrests and convictions of the individual to correct the historic record. Such legislative action to posthumously remedy manifest historic injustice shall not entitle the heirs or the estate of the person who suffered the injustice to recover damages from the state.
2 Posthumous Exoneration and Annulment of Conviction of Willard Uphaus. Pursuant to RSA 651:5-c, as inserted by section 1 of this act, the legislature finds the conviction and imprisonment of Willard Uphaus in connection with the provisions of the New Hampshire subversive activities act was a manifest injustice and by this act corrects that historical error and exonerates Willard Uphaus and annuls his conviction.
3 Posthumous Exoneration and Annulment of Arrests and Flogging and Imprisonment of Eunice "Goody" Cole. Pursuant to RSA 651:5-c, as inserted by section 1 of this act, the legislature finds the arrests, convictions, floggings and imprisonment of Eunice "Goody" Cole for witchcraft and familiarity with the devil was a manifest injustice, and by this act corrects that historical error and exonerates Goody Cole and annuls her convictions.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
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1 New Section; Posthumous Exoneration and Annulment. Amend RSA 651 by inserting after section 5-b the following new section:
651:5-c Posthumous Exoneration and Annulment. The legislature recognizes that on occasion mistakes may be made in the criminal justice process that do not become evident until after the person who was the subject of the mistakes is deceased, or with the passage of time the manifest injustice of a law or policy for which someone was arrested and prosecuted and punished becomes apparent after the person is deceased. In cases where the judgment of history is that an individual now deceased suffered an unjust criminal prosecution, it is within the power of the legislature to acknowledge the injustice and posthumously exonerate and annul the arrests and convictions of the individual to correct the historic record. Such legislative action to posthumously remedy manifest historic injustice shall not entitle the heirs or the estate of the person who suffered the injustice to recover damages from the state.
2 Posthumous Exoneration and Annulment of Conviction of Willard Uphaus. Pursuant to RSA 651:5-c, as inserted by section 1 of this act, the legislature finds the conviction and imprisonment of Willard Uphaus in connection with the provisions of the New Hampshire subversive activities act was a manifest injustice and by this act corrects that historical error and exonerates Willard Uphaus and annuls his conviction.
3 Posthumous Exoneration and Annulment of Arrests and Flogging and Imprisonment of Eunice "Goody" Cole. Pursuant to RSA 651:5-c, as inserted by section 1 of this act, the legislature finds the arrests, convictions, floggings and imprisonment of Eunice "Goody" Cole for witchcraft and familiarity with the devil was a manifest injustice, and by this act corrects that historical error and exonerates Goody Cole and annuls her convictions.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.