Colorado Code § 13-3-114

State court administrator - compensation for exonerated persons - definitions - annual payments - child support payments - financial literacy training - qualified health plan - damages awarded in civil actions - reimbursement to the state
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(1) 
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) "Annual payment" means a payment of monetary compensation made by the state
court administrator or his or her designee to an exonerated person pursuant to this section. An
annual payment shall be in the amount of one hundred thousand dollars, which amount shall be
adjusted annually by the state auditor to account for inflation; except that:
(I) If the remaining amount of the state's duty of monetary compensation owed to the
exonerated person is less than one hundred thousand dollars, the amount of the annual payment
shall be equal to the remaining amount; and
(II) The amount of an annual payment may be reduced as described in subsection (5) of
this section.
(b) "Exonerated person" means a person who has been determined by a district court
pursuant to section 13-65-102 to be actually innocent, as defined in section 13-65-101 (1).
(c) "Incarceration" means a person's custody in a county jail or a correctional facility
while he or she serves a sentence issued pursuant to the person's conviction of a felony or
pursuant to the person's adjudication as a juvenile delinquent for the commission of one or more
offenses that would be felonies if committed by a person eighteen years of age or older. For the
purposes of this section, "incarceration" includes placement as a juvenile to the custody of the
state department of human services or a county department of human or social services.
(d) "Personal financial management instruction course" means a personal financial
management instruction course that has been approved by the United States trustee's office
pursuant to 11 U.S.C. sec. 111.
(e) "State's duty of monetary compensation" means the total amount of monetary
compensation owed by the state to an exonerated person.
(2) Not more than fourteen days after the state court administrator receives directions
from a district court pursuant to section 13-65-103 to compensate an exonerated person, the state
court administrator shall:
(a) Issue an annual payment to the exonerated person. Annually thereafter, on or before
the date that such payment was made, until the state's duty of monetary compensation is
satisfied, the state court administrator or his or her designee shall issue an annual payment to the
exonerated person.
(b) Pay on the exonerated person's behalf any amount of compensation for child support
payments owed by the exonerated person that became due during his or her incarceration, or any
amount of interest on child support arrearages that accrued during his or her incarceration but
which have not been paid, as described in section 13-65-103 (2)(e)(III). The state court
administrator, or his or her designee, shall make such payment in a lump sum to the appropriate
county department of human or social services or other agency responsible for receiving such
payments not more than thirty days after the state court administrator receives directions from a
district court to compensate an exonerated person pursuant to section 13-65-103.
(c) Pay on the exonerated person's behalf the amount of reasonable attorney fees
awarded to the exonerated person pursuant to section 13-65-103 (2)(e)(IV).
(3) The amount of any payment made to, or on behalf of, an exonerated person pursuant
to this section shall be deducted from the state's duty of monetary compensation to the
exonerated person.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section,
after the state court administrator has issued one annual payment to an exonerated person, the
state court administrator shall not issue another annual payment to the exonerated person until
the exonerated person has completed a personal financial management instruction course.
(5) In each year in which the state court administrator issues an annual payment to an
exonerated person, the person's annual payment shall be reduced by ten thousand dollars if the
person fails to present to the state court administrator a policy or certificate showing that the
person has purchased or otherwise acquired a qualified health plan for himself or herself and his
or her dependents that is valid for at least six months. Such amount shall be deducted from the
state's duty of monetary compensation to the exonerated person as if such amount had been
issued to the exonerated person.
(6) (a) An exonerated person who receives monetary compensation pursuant to this
section shall reimburse the state for the total amount of annual payments made to the exonerated
person pursuant to this section if:
(I) The exonerated person prevails in or settles a civil action against the state or against
any other government body in a civil action concerning the same acts that are the bases for the
petition for compensation; and
(II) The judgment rendered in the civil action or the settlement of the civil action
includes an award of monetary damages to the exonerated person.
(b) For the purposes of paragraph (a) of this subsection (6), in any proceeding that
satisfies the description set forth in said paragraph (a), upon a satisfactory showing by the state
that the exonerated person has received monetary compensation pursuant to this section, the
court shall offset a sufficient amount of moneys from the exonerated person's award of monetary
damages to reimburse the state for such monetary compensation. The court shall transfer such
moneys to the state treasurer, who shall credit the moneys to the general fund.
(7) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, the state court administrator shall not
issue an annual payment to an exonerated person if:
(a) (I) The exonerated person has prevailed in or settled a civil action for monetary
damages as described in subsection (6) of this section; and
(II) The amount of the monetary damages awarded by the court in the civil action, or
stipulated in the settlement of the action, and collected by the exonerated person equals or
exceeds the remaining amount of the state's duty of monetary compensation to the exonerated
person;
(b) The exonerated person is convicted of a class 1 or class 2 felony, or of an offense that
would be considered a class 1 or class 2 felony in Colorado, after the date upon which a court
issues an order of compensation on the person's behalf; or
(c) The person has not yet completed a personal financial management instruction
course, as required by subsection (4) of this section.
(8) (a) At any point after the state court administrator makes an annual payment to an
exonerated person pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, the exonerated person may elect to
receive the remaining balance of the state's duty of monetary compensation in a lump sum by:
(I) Notifying the state court administrator, the governor, and the general assembly of
such election, which notification must be provided in writing;
(II) Completing a personal financial management instruction course; and
(III) Acquiring and committing to maintain a qualified health insurance plan.
(b) Upon receiving written documentation that an exonerated person has satisfied the
requirements described in subsection (8)(a) of this section, the state court administrator shall pay
to the exonerated person the balance of the state's duty of monetary compensation not later than
one year after receiving such written documentation.

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