Florida Man To Receive $1.7 Million After 34 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment

Sidney Holmes, a Florida man wrongfully imprisoned for 34 years, is set to receive $1.7 million in compensation.

Holmes was convicted of armed robbery in 1989 and handed a staggering 400-year prison sentence. His case was revisited by the Broward County State Attorney’s Office Conviction Review Unit, which in 2023 overturned his conviction after finding serious flaws in the evidence used against him.

Despite his exoneration, Holmes’ path to compensation was complicated by his prior convictions, which initially made him ineligible for a payout under Florida law.

That changed on July 1, 2025, when Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill removing the legal barrier, enabling Holmes to seek restitution. Just over two weeks later, on July 17, 2025, the $1.7 million award was approved.