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Crime, Law and Justice
MPR News Staff

After conviction vacated, Marvin Haynes files claim for nearly $2M for wrongful incarceration

Man in blue T-shirt speaks at lectern
Marvin Haynes speaks to reporters at a news conference in December 2023 after a judge vacated his conviction for the 2004 murder of Harry "Randy" Sherer.
Matt Sepic | MPR News file

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A Minnesota man who served nearly 20 years in prison before his murder conviction was vacated last year has filed a claim for nearly $2 million from the state.

Marvin Haynes was 16 years old when he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for a 2004 murder in Minneapolis. There was no physical evidence linking Haynes to the fatal shooting of Minneapolis flower shop owner Harry “Randy” Sherer — and a judge found last year that eyewitness testimony in the case was faulty. Haynes was released from prison.

Under state law, Haynes is entitled to at least $50,000 for every year he was wrongfully incarcerated. Haynes is seeking $100,000 per year.

In a filing last week with the Minnesota Supreme Court, Haynes’ attorneys wrote that their client “will forever live with the negative impact and psychological damage of his wrongful incarceration, and he must contend with them in every aspect of his life.”

“While Mr. Haynes dreams of pursuing a college degree in business and taking classes in public speaking to better advocate for others and inspire people with his story, his time is currently consumed with obtaining basic financial security and the necessities of life,” they wrote.

Haynes’ attorneys, in arguing he’s owed more than the minimum monetary damages, cited the length of his incarceration, the ongoing health and psychological effects from his time in prison, the lost potential income, and the many life milestones he missed.

“During his wrongful incarceration, Mr. Haynes’s maternal grandparents both passed away. And several years before Mr. Haynes’s exoneration, his mother suffered a stroke that left her unable to speak or care for herself. Not only did Mr. Haynes’s unjust imprisonment cause him to miss out on nearly two decades of daily family life and major milestones, it also deprived him of the remaining time he had with his mother while she could communicate,” the filing states.

Under state law, after the claim is filed with the Supreme Court, the chief justice appoints a panel of three attorneys or judges to determine the amount of damages. It would then go to the Legislature for approval.