How many people were exonerated in Texas in 2024?

Twenty-six people were exonerated in Texas in 2024, an increase from 23 exonerations in 2023.

Who are some notable exonerees in recent years?

Notable recent exonerations include Benjamine Spencer, who served 34 years before being cleared, and Andrew Wayne Roark, whose conviction was vacated after scientific reassessment.

What compensation is available for exonerees in Texas?

Texas provides $80,000 per year for years wrongfully imprisoned plus $25,000 per year for time on parole or on a sex offender registry; over $100 million has been paid since 2009.

What is the Dallas County Conviction Integrity Unit?

The Dallas County Conviction Integrity Unit, established in 2007, reviews potential wrongful convictions and has contributed to at least 34 exonerations in the county.

Are there racial disparities in wrongful convictions?

Yes. In 2024, 19 of the 26 exonerations involved Black individuals; data indicate Black individuals are about seven times more likely than White individuals to be wrongfully convicted of murder.

How many people might be wrongfully imprisoned in Texas?

Advocacy estimates place the potential number of wrongfully imprisoned people in Texas between 3,000 and 9,000.

September 5, 2025

Texas Sees Increase in Exonerations

Dallas, September 5, 2025

News Summary

Texas has recorded 26 exonerations as courts continue to overturn wrongful convictions, addressing racial disparities and advancing scientific evidence. Notable cases include Benjamine Spencer, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 34 years, and Andrew Wayne Roark, whose conviction was vacated due to evolving understanding of child injury. The Dallas County Conviction Integrity Unit plays a crucial role in this effort, but challenges such as compensation barriers and systemic racial disparities remain. Exonerees continue to face obstacles in their reintegration, as advocates seek reforms to improve justice.

Dallas

Texas recorded 26 exonerations in 2024, up from 23 in 2023, continuing a multi-year trend of courts and review units overturning wrongful convictions. The wave of cleared cases in 2024 included convictions for drug offenses, child abuse, and homicide, and highlighted persistent racial disparities, evolving scientific evidence, and growing institutional efforts to identify and correct mistakes after conviction.

Key developments and notable cases

Among those exonerated in 2024 was Benjamine Spencer, who was released after spending 34 years in prison for a 1987 robbery and murder. Spencer was arrested at age 22, tried twice, and remained incarcerated despite an absence of physical evidence linking him to the crime. While imprisoned, Spencer sought help from innocence organizations and eventually received support from a nonprofit advocacy group that helped secure his exoneration. Spencer’s long incarceration included missing significant family milestones, such as the opportunity to hold his child as an infant.

Another recent reversal involved Andrew Wayne Roark, whose 2000 conviction was vacated after advances in scientific understanding undermined the medical theory used to justify his prosecution in a case involving alleged child injury. Roark’s case illustrates how evolving scientific consensus can be central to reopening and overturning convictions.

Role of Dallas County Conviction Integrity Unit

The Dallas County Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), established in 2007, has been a prominent local mechanism for reviewing and correcting wrongful convictions. Since its creation, the CIU has helped secure at least 34 exonerations in Dallas County, increasing the county’s confirmed exonerations from an earlier total of 12 to more than 46 overall. The CIU’s investigative work and case reviews have made Dallas County a focal point for post-conviction justice efforts in the state.

Compensation, limitations, and systemic challenges

Texas law provides a statutory compensation rate of $80,000 per year for years spent wrongfully imprisoned, plus an additional $25,000 per year for time spent on parole or required sex-offender registries. Since 2009, Texas has paid more than $100 million in compensation to exonerees, with a substantial portion awarded to individuals from Dallas County. Even so, exonerees and advocates note that monetary awards cannot restore lost years or fully remedy the harms of wrongful imprisonment.

Securing compensation typically requires a high legal bar of proving actual innocence, a requirement that can be difficult to meet even after a conviction has been vacated. Exonerees frequently face continuing obstacles, including legal complexity, challenges in accessing benefits and services, and lasting social and economic impacts from long-term incarceration.

Racial disparities and scale of wrongful convictions

Racial disparities remain stark in recent exonerations. Of the 26 Texans cleared in 2024, 19 were Black, 2 were Hispanic, and 5 were White. Separate data indicate that Black individuals are approximately seven times more likely to be wrongfully convicted of murder than White individuals. Advocacy groups estimate that between 3,000 and 9,000 people in Texas may currently be wrongfully imprisoned, a range that underscores uncertainty about the full scope of post-conviction innocence needs.

Technical advances and changing evidence standards

Improved DNA testing, better forensic standards, and re-evaluations of previously accepted medical theories have all contributed to recent exonerations. Cases overturned because of new scientific understanding, like the reassessment of shaken baby syndrome diagnoses, illustrate how evolving science can reshape assessments of guilt and innocence decades after convictions.

Ongoing reforms and remaining issues

Efforts to increase transparency, expand post-conviction review units, and reform evidence and interrogation practices are ongoing across the state. However, gaps remain in access to post-conviction testing, the legal threshold for compensation, and broader systemic reforms aimed at preventing wrongful convictions in the first place. Stakeholders continue to call for policy changes to reduce racial disparities, lower barriers to post-conviction review, and improve support services for exonerees re-entering society.

FAQ

How many people were exonerated in Texas in 2024?: Twenty-six people were exonerated in Texas in 2024, an increase from 23 exonerations in 2023.
Who are some notable exonerees in recent years?: Notable recent exonerations include Benjamine Spencer, who served 34 years for a 1987 robbery and murder before being cleared, and Andrew Wayne Roark, whose conviction was vacated as scientific understanding of alleged child injury changed.
What compensation is available for exonerees in Texas?: Texas offers statutory compensation of $80,000 per year of wrongful incarceration plus $25,000 per year for time spent on parole or on the sex offender registry. Since 2009, Texas has disbursed over $100 million in compensation to exonerees.
What is the Dallas County Conviction Integrity Unit?: The Dallas County Conviction Integrity Unit, created in 2007, reviews potential wrongful convictions and has helped secure at least 34 exonerations, raising the county’s known total to more than 46.
Are there racial disparities in wrongful convictions?: Yes. Of the 26 exonerations in 2024, 19 involved Black individuals, 2 involved Hispanic individuals, and 5 involved White individuals. Data show Black people are disproportionately affected, including being reported as seven times more likely than White people to be wrongfully convicted of murder.
How many people might be wrongfully imprisoned in Texas?: Estimates from advocacy groups suggest between 3,000 and 9,000 people in Texas could be wrongfully imprisoned, though the exact number is uncertain.

Key figures

Metric	Value	Visual
Exonerations in 2024	26
Exonerations in 2023	23
Dallas CIU exonerations since 2007	At least 34
Racial breakdown (2024 exonerations)	Black: 19 Hispanic: 2 White: 5	Black 73% Hisp 8% White 19%
State compensation rate	$80,000 per year; +$25,000 per year on parole/registry

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Author: STAFF HERE DALLAS WRITER

DALLAS STAFF WRITER The DALLAS STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREDallas.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Dallas, Dallas County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the State Fair of Texas, Deep Ellum Arts Festival, and Dallas International Film Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Dallas Regional Chamber and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, plus leading businesses in telecommunications, aviation, and semiconductors that power the local economy such as AT&T, Southwest Airlines, and Texas Instruments. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAustinTX.com, HERECollegeStation.com, HEREHouston.com, and HERESanAntonio.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Texas's dynamic landscape.

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