Justice Department tries to block access to DNA tests for convicts!

Democat

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Fri May-14-04 02:22 AM
Original message

Justice Department tries to block access to DNA tests for convicts!

Edited on Fri May-14-04 02:30 AM by Democat

The DNA tests for the guilty are tying up crime labs and re-traumatizing the victims of rapes and other violent crimes, often years after the crimes occurred, according to a department "views" letter written to sway congressional opinion.

Moschella offered no statistics, and no independent numbers exist on how many DNA appeals are in the courts. But Moschella did cite recent cases from St Louis. Beginning in 2001, prosecutors there ordered tests on evidence from rapes dating back nearly 20 years. They found that DNA from the crime scenes matched five men who had been convicted of the crimes, though it exonerated two other convicts.

Moschella sent the letter April 28 to six key members of Congress, including Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., his counterpart in the House of Representatives. Moschella wrote that his goal was to discourage them from supporting a bill that would make it easier for federal convicts to petition courts for DNA tests to challenge their convictions.

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, supports the "reasonable doubt" standard. He called the Justice Department's letter "misguided" and said it "shows they are still part of the problem."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20040513/pl_usatoday/justicedeptdnatestsforguiltyjamsystem

This story is unbelievable - Ashcroft and Bush are trying to stop people that have been convicted of a crime, who may actually be innocent, from getting a chance to prove their innocence using new technology.

How low will the Bush admin go?

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Sandpiper

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Fri May-14-04 02:25 AM
Response to Original message

1. Unbelievable

The Justice Department needs to remove the word Justice from their title. It's obviously not something they're concerned with.

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arwalden

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Fri May-14-04 02:26 AM
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2. To The Bowels Of Hell

(if you believe that sort of thing.)

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KissMyAsscroft

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Fri May-14-04 02:38 AM
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3. I'm so sick of this type of garbage...

This "government" we have really is a piece of work.

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sandnsea

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Fri May-14-04 02:38 AM
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4. Note the bias in the story

"No figures are kept on how often DNA tests reconfirm a convict's guilt. But anecdotal evidence suggests that is often the case."

Then they cite two cases.

But what about a profile on some of these people:

"Since 1989, 143 state convicts have been exonerated after DNA tests cast doubt on their convictions, says the Innocence Project, a New York City group that specializes in DNA cases."

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7th_Sephiroth

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Fri May-14-04 02:50 AM
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5. so what your saying is

possibly innocent men should rot in jail, probably raped every day, just because what? lab technicians have to do thier job? (dont flame, not saying what happened to any rape victim was thier fault or anything) That some woman might be Burdened with the memory of one event in thier life, bad as it was? WTF are these assholes thinking?

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lostnfound

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Fri May-14-04 05:31 AM
Response to Reply #5

9. Any sensible victim wants the GUILTY one found, anyone..

Letting an innocent man take the rap means the perpetrator is probably still free.

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Kagemusha

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Fri May-14-04 03:03 AM
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6. Peace of mind is worth the jailing of innocents?

What world did I wake up to this morning?

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AndyTiedye

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Fri May-14-04 03:47 AM
Response to Reply #6

7. Even If Asscroft Doesn't Care About The Wrong Man Imprisoned for Rape...

...he should care that the real rapist is stil out there, and very likely emboldened by the feeling that he got away with it.

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Nay

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Fri May-14-04 05:21 AM
Response to Original message

8. Absolute proof that they don't care WHO is in jail for a crime, as long

as somebody, anybody, is. Infuriating. Are they really saying that female victims would rather have an innocent man in jail than to "relive" a past trauma?? WTF?? These jerks are a real piece of work. And innocent people should stay in jail because the govt might have to hire a few more lab techs to cope with the overload of work? Jesus H. Christ.

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