Anthony Graves, who spent 18 years in prison–12 of them on death row–for murder before he was exonerated in 2010, wanted to use some of his $1.45 million settlement to repay Nicole Cásarez, the Houston attorney and journalism professor who spent eight years working for his freedom. But he knew it would be tough to convince her to take a gift from him.

The good news is that Anthony Graves was released from prison back in October after serving eighteen years on death row for a murder that prosecutors now say he had nothing to do with. Charges dropped, man freed, name cleared. Good things! The bad news is that Graves is now rightly seeking some financial compensation for the nearly two decades he spent in the Texas hoosegow, but the state comptroller's office is telling him and his lawyers no, because of a technicality.