The Minnesota Senate passed legislation that will award $4.5 million to Marvin Haynes, a man found wrongfully convicted of murder. In his 2005 case, Haynes was prosecuted by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office which was led by Amy Klobuchar at the time.
In 2005, Haynes was convicted of murdering Harry “Randy” Sherer. Sherer was shot and killed in a Minneapolis flower shop in 2004. Haynes, who was 16 years old at the time of the murder, was eventually convicted for the crime and sentenced to life in prison.
However, a Minnesota judge fully vacated Haynes’ murder conviction in 2023. Haynes was released from prison after the judge ruled that unconstitutional eyewitness evidence was used in the case and “there was no physical evidence linking [Haynes] to the crime scene.”
Under Minnesota law, individuals who are exonerated may seek compensation from the state. Now, Haynes is poised to receive $4.5 million from the state via HF 5074.
Authored by DFL Rep. Luke Frederick and DFL Sen. Doron Clark, HF 5074 passed in the Minnesota House of Representatives on Wednesday in a 134-0 vote. In addition to giving $4.5 million to Haynes, the bill awards hundreds of thousands of dollars to two others.
On Friday, the bill was passed by the Senate in a 64-2 vote.
Describing his bill as “the annual claims settlement appropriation bill,” Clark explained that the legislature “hears and recommends whether [to pay] claims against the state by various people who cannot proceed against the state under state tort claims.”
In his remarks, Clark spoke about Haynes’ case, saying Haynes’ conviction “was based on false evidence and unreliable identification, leading to his conviction being vacated and a dismissal with prejudice of all charges.”
During debate on the bill, Republican Sen. Michael Holmstrom said HF 5074 “is about the state messing up and coming forward.”
Additionally, Holmstrom highlighted Haynes’ case, and Klobuchar’s role in it, saying, “the prosecutor in charge of this, the Hennepin County attorney at the time, was none other than Amy Klobuchar, somebody who’s running to lead this state.”
Klobuchar, who is now a U.S. senator, is currently a DFL candidate for Minnesota governor.
Referring to Haynes’ conviction, Holmstrom said, “this is a mistake that cost this state dearly and cost this man even more than words or money can make up for. I don’t want to let this moment pass without recognizing this.”
Holmstrom concluded by urging senators to pass “the Klobuchar cleanup act.”
Alpha News contacted Klobuchar for this story. Neither her gubernatorial campaign nor her U.S. Senate office responded prior to a publication deadline.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
