Sidney Holmes, a South Florida man who spent 34 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, will receive $1.7 million in compensation from the state of Florida following the passage of a special claims bill earlier this year.
Holmes was 23 years old when he was convicted in 1988 of acting as the getaway driver in an armed robbery near Fort Lauderdale. Prosecutors at the time relied heavily on eyewitness identification, which authorities now acknowledge was vague and unreliable. The main detail provided by witnesses was that the suspect vehicle was yellow — a common car color at the time.
Holmes maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration, telling NBC 6 that he had been at home during the crime. “I thought I was going to die in prison,” he said, reflecting on his decades-long ordeal.
While serving his sentence, Holmes pursued education, earning a theology degree, legal services training, and computer certifications. His case was re-examined by Broward County State Attorney Harold Pryor’s Conviction Review Unit, which determined that he had been wrongfully convicted. He was released in 2023.
Under Florida law, wrongfully imprisoned individuals are entitled to $50,000 per year of incarceration. However, Holmes was initially ineligible for compensation due to prior convictions. A legislative measure passed earlier this year made an exception in his case, and Governor Ron DeSantis has now approved the $1.7 million award.
Holmes’s exoneration highlights broader concerns about the reliability of eyewitness identification and the challenges faced by those seeking justice after wrongful convictions.
