A grieving mother charged with murder a day after her newborn's death. A man found guilty of rape after a codefendant falsely implicated him. And a man convicted of a double murder despite having an alibi and no physical evidence linking him to the crime.

Advocates for each told state lawmakers during a hearing Thursday at the Georgia Capitol that they were wrongfully convicted and should be compensated by the state. It was just one step in a process critics say is tough to navigate, overly subjective and inconsistent.