Give Prisoners Access to DNA

Give Prisoners Access to DNA

The Issue

Disheartening news from http://legaltimes.typepad.com.





The solicitor general's office has turned down a request by the Innocence Project to disavow a Bush Administration stance on prisoners' access to DNA evidence in postconviction proceedings. As a result, on March 2, Neal Katyal will make his debut as deputy solicitor general by arguing before the Supreme Court in support of the state of Alaska's view that prisoners have no constitutional right to obtain DNA evidence that might help them prove their innocence -- even if the prisoners pay for the DNA testing themselves. The case is District Attorney's Office for the Third Judicial District v. Osborne.

Let President Obama and the Solicitor General know that we expect a change from the Bush-era opposition to innocence initiatives.

avatar of the starter
william newmillerPetition StarterI'm a retired Air Force pilot, former member of the FBI, and current English professor at the Air Force Academy, where I've taught for a total of 25 years. I have a passion for criminal justice reform. The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. Too many of them are innocent. Too many of them suffer from mental illness. All of them are warehoused in a system that nurtures recidivism. There's not space here to list all the changes that need to be made. My hope is that once people become aware of some of the changes that are needed, they'll be willing to work for those changes. If we all raise our voices together, we can make a difference.
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This petition had 169 supporters

The Issue

Disheartening news from http://legaltimes.typepad.com.





The solicitor general's office has turned down a request by the Innocence Project to disavow a Bush Administration stance on prisoners' access to DNA evidence in postconviction proceedings. As a result, on March 2, Neal Katyal will make his debut as deputy solicitor general by arguing before the Supreme Court in support of the state of Alaska's view that prisoners have no constitutional right to obtain DNA evidence that might help them prove their innocence -- even if the prisoners pay for the DNA testing themselves. The case is District Attorney's Office for the Third Judicial District v. Osborne.

Let President Obama and the Solicitor General know that we expect a change from the Bush-era opposition to innocence initiatives.

avatar of the starter
william newmillerPetition StarterI'm a retired Air Force pilot, former member of the FBI, and current English professor at the Air Force Academy, where I've taught for a total of 25 years. I have a passion for criminal justice reform. The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. Too many of them are innocent. Too many of them suffer from mental illness. All of them are warehoused in a system that nurtures recidivism. There's not space here to list all the changes that need to be made. My hope is that once people become aware of some of the changes that are needed, they'll be willing to work for those changes. If we all raise our voices together, we can make a difference.
Media inquiries

The Decision Makers

Neal Katyal
Neal Katyal
Solicitor General

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Petition created on February 21, 2009