After spending 23 years behind bars for a 2002 Brevard County murder, he has now been cleared. Jeff Abramowski has a formal judicial finding of innocence and a recommended compensation package worth more than $1 million. What he does not have, he says, is any of the money. Disabled from an inmate assault and with no recent work history, Abramowski is trying to rebuild a life that moved on without him while the state’s process inches along.
According to WBAL NewsRadio, an administrative law judge signed a recommended order in January 2026 that calls for $50,000 for each year Abramowski spent in prison, reimbursement of court costs, and expungement of his record. The order was filed with the court in February. Abramowski told the station he is counting on that award because he has lost two decades of job experience and was left with broken ribs and lasting disability after being attacked in custody. “I feel like I’m still in prison,” he said, describing life on the outside while he waits for the state to move the recommendation forward.
DNA Tests, Vacatur and Dismissal
Fresh DNA testing by an independent lab found genetic material on the hammer and iron used in the killing that excluded Abramowski and identified other contributors, evidence his lawyers argue undercut the prosecution’s theory of the crime. That testing, combined with a successful motion for a new trial, prompted a circuit judge to vacate Abramowski’s conviction in April 2025, and the state dismissed the charges in July 2025. As detailed by the Innocence Project of Florida and the National Registry of Exonerations, those lab reports and the subsequent reinvestigation became the backbone of his compensation petition.
What Florida Law Provides
Florida’s Victims of Wrongful Incarceration Compensation Act sets monetary relief at $50,000 per year of wrongful incarceration and authorizes reimbursement of fines and court costs, administrative expungement, and payment through an annuity arranged by the state’s Chief Financial Officer. The statute spells out the petition and review process claimants must follow and assigns overlapping roles to several agencies, which can stretch the time between a finding of innocence and an actual payout. For the full legal blueprint, see Florida Statutes, Chapter 961 on the Florida Senate site.
Why the Payout Can Take Time
An administrative law judge’s recommendation is not an immediate payment order; it goes back to the original sentencing court for a final decision, and only then does the state complete the administrative steps before any money changes hands. Public records and reporting compiled by the National Registry of Exonerations indicate that Florida has previously disputed elements of compensation petitions and that procedural review and interagency coordination often explain why recommended awards sit in limbo even after a judicial finding of innocence.
Next Steps and Timing
If a circuit judge adopts the administrative law judge’s recommendation in Abramowski’s case, he will then be eligible to apply to the Department of Legal Affairs for the award, and the Chief Financial Officer will arrange payment through an annuity as the statute requires. His legal team has indicated it will press the court for a prompt order, but the exact timing remains uncertain because of paperwork, potential civil offsets, and the mechanics of setting up the annuity. The Innocence Project of Florida notes that even when the underlying case is a clear win for exonerees, it can still take months of follow-through before funds are released and an expungement is fully processed.
The Human Cost
For Abramowski, the delay is not a bureaucratic abstraction. He told WBAL the anticipated award is his plan to try to catch up after losing more than twenty years to a wrongful conviction and suffering serious injuries behind bars. Advocates say the recommended compensation, expungement, and reimbursement of court costs can help restore basic stability and rights. At the same time, Abramowski’s situation underscores that even a formal declaration of innocence does not instantly clear away the financial, physical, and emotional hurdles that come with reentering society after a long wrongful incarceration.
