Here’s a subject for discussion. It seems that ever since reliable DNA testing has been avaiable, whenever they have been able to recheck a guilty verdict on the basis of DNA testing, the convicted person has been cleared about half the time.
HALF! In other words, our infallible justice system has been unable to do better than if the jury just flipped a coin.
If our present system has been proven so unreliable, then what should be done?
Half? Got a source for that stat?
citation:
Time Magazine, September 13, ppg 26-28
An article about a law firm which specializes in these cases. They claim about a 60% success rate. However, it also is clear that they are very choosy about what cases they accept and do not take on cases where the evidence was decisive. A gentleman named Vincent Jenkins was the 65th inmate released due to their work, that works out to their having taken on just over a hundred cases in the past eight years.
Many more convictions are reversed due to technicalities, I do not see where the criminal justice system has been dealt a serious blow by the new DNA testing techniques.
I was going to mention what DrF already did – that this is not a random sample. They go after cases in which there is already some significant doubt.
FYI, the leader in this field is the Innocence Project, led by Cardozo Law professor and all-around good guy Barry Scheck, who is probably better known for correcting Lance Ito on his Yiddish.
It’s Meshugana!
There’re links all over the net, but I can’t find just the right one to post.
Livin’ on Tums, Vitamin E and Rogaine