Gov. Warner Orders DNA Testing of Old Cases to Determine and Free...

[RSchewe]

...the Innocent

The Washington Post reports that two more Virginia inmates convicted of rape, one of whom served 20 years before being released, have been determined to be factually innocent based on new DNA testing. The testing in one of the cases produced a "cold hit" to the true perpetrators.

more...


http://talkleft.com/new_archives/013410.html

[DaveinMD]

1. damn

DLC corporate whore.

[Pirate Smile]

2. I assume you forgot your sarcasm smilie.

:wtf:

DNA Tests Exonerate 2 Former Prisoners
Va. Governor Orders Broad Case Review

By Michael D. Shear and Jamie Stockwell
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, December 15, 2005; Page A01

RICHMOND, Dec. 14 -- Newly tested DNA from rapes committed more than 20 years ago have exonerated two Virginians who had each spent more than a decade behind bars, reigniting a national debate about post-conviction testing of biological evidence.

Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) announced the test results Wednesday. One of the defendants served 20 years in prison for a rape in Alexandria that the new testing shows he did not commit. The other man was released in 1992 after serving about 11 years for an assault in Norfolk. The governor did not reveal the names of the exonerated men because they had requested privacy. He said he would expedite their pardon requests.

The revelations are the result of modern-day testing Warner ordered more than a year ago on a small number of biological samples that had been collected in thousands of criminal cases. Those samples were taken to establish blood type in the time before DNA testing and the leaps in forensic science that have cleared the two convicts.

Warner said the discovery of two innocent men among the 31 newly examined cases compels an even more sweeping review. He ordered that 660 boxes containing thousands of files from 1973 through 1988 be examined for cases that can be retested using the latest DNA technology. There is no estimate on how long that would take or how much it would cost.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/14/AR2005121401643.html

[DaveinMD]

6. I thought that was clear

sorry

[Pirate Smile]

8. Oh, OK. I've seen too many comments like that which people actually

mean to just assume it is a joke. :)

[napi21]

3. Why are you calling him a Corp Whore?

He requested the DNA tests that exonerated these guys.Do you have a problem with that?

[DaveinMD]

7. geez

I'm making fun of everyone around here that calls Governor Warner a DINO. I love Warner.

[MisterP]

9. yeah, it's not like you can exonerate people and be a staunch

conservative--like George Ryan!

[LincolnMcGrath]

11. Ya beat me to the punch......

lol

[stepnw1f]

4. heh? (nt)

[DaveinMD]

5. its a joke

[SillyGoose]

10. Good. Every other Governor in a state with the DP should follow

his lead.

[BJW]

17. absolutely

:applause:

[MuseRider]

12. Wonderful.

This is the right thing to do. Good for him.

[ruggerson]

13. kicked and recommended

n/t

[autorank]

14. Good for him. We like him here in VA. He's quietly progressive.

The state legislature passed a really nasty anti-gay piece of legislation. Warner did not hesitate to veto it. Said it was stupid and just did it. He supported civil rights here and free health care for those without insurance and means. Just did it. He was wrong on Iraq but many were. He's come around on that. He flirts with DLC but that's just the business person in him. He wants their access to money. You can be sure he's smarter than the entire DLC staff on a bad day.

He has real potential. He gave a great speech on what it means to be a Democrat. It was all about the legacy of FDR. Not well publicized, I can't even find it, but I heard it and it was damn good. He gave it at an affair in Alabama to boot.

This is just wonderful news.

[LetsGoMurphys]

16. I had the speech in my outbox because I sent it to my father

and the link no longer works and I cannot find it either. It was an excellent speech. I believe I found one quote from it. "The Democratic Party has always been at its best when it's seen as the party of the future."

[autorank]

18. Hey, Welcome to DU!!! That's great. I'm not hearing the voices anymore.

;)

[Kahuna]

15. Bravo for him!

:applause: :applause: :applause: