HONOLULU (KHON2) — Now, that a Big Island judge has vacated Albert Ian Schweitzer’s conviction for murder, some are asking if he’s owed anything. According to the Hawaii Innocence Project, 38 states have wrongful conviction compensation laws, including Hawaii.

After 23 years behind bars for a crime, we now know, Schweitzer didn’t commit, he said no amount of money can repay for time lost.

“There’s a lot to take away and let’s start with taking half my life away,” said Albert Ian Schweitzer, exonerated of murder.

Under the state’s Redress for Wrongful Conviction and Imprisonment law, the process would begin with a motion being filed in court.

“Sort of the baseline is $50,000 per year that you were in prison and then there’s another $100,000 for extraordinary circumstances and then you can get attorney’s fees for the actual filing in the case to file your claim up to $10,000,” said Sen. Karl Rhoads, (D) Senate Judiciary Chair.

In Schweitzer’s case, that adds up to $1.15 million. The Hawaii Innocence Project said, it’s only right for the state to pay back Schweitzer. As far as the extra $100,000 for extraordinary circumstances, Rhoads said that would be something for the court to rule on.

“I would believe that it would be something if something really horrific happened to you in prison or if something horrific happened in the result of your imprisonment,” said Sen. Rhoads.

The Department of at the Attorney General says, it’s not aware of any plaintiff having won a wrongful-conviction claim brought against the state.

Other states’ wrongful conviction compensation laws have social services tacked on and the Hawaii Innocence Project said the state should have the same.

The bill that was introduced in 2015 and later enacted in 2016 was a compromised bill according to Sen. Rhoads.

“The idea was to make it simple enough that the court case didn’t end up being super complicated,” Rhoads said.

The law says, an individual has two years to file the claim after the conviction is vacated. At this time, KHON2 learned that it’s unknown if Schweitzer will seek compensation as he’s still readjusting to life.

“All of that will come in time and right now I think he’s being with his family, being with his mom and just being present and absorbing all this stuff,” said Ken Lawson, Hawaii Innocence Project Co-Director.