Man Wrongfully Imprisoned for 34 Years to Receive $1.7M in Florida

Controversy has erupted on social media over a man set to receive $1.7 million in compensation after wrongfully imprisoned for 34 years.

The man identifed as Sidney Holmes was convicted of armed robbery in 1989 and sentenced to 400 years in prison.

However, Sidney Holmes was exonerated in 2023, after his case was revisited by the Broward County State Attorney’s Office Conviction Review Unit (CRU)

Initially, he was denied compensation due to his prior convictions, but a bill, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on July 1, 2025, granted him the compensation.

Although the compensation was awarded to Holmes on July 17, 2025.