2009 News of the Nation - DNA Test Not a Right

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DNA Test Not a Right, Supreme Court Rules

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that prisoners do not have the right to request DNA testing to prove their innocence long after they are convicted of a crime. The majority of the members of the Court claimed that since 44 states already have laws in effect concerning post-conviction DNA testing, a federal law is unnecessary. However, Alaska, the state at the center of the case, does not have such a law. The minority opinion said DNA evidence is a part of due process, which means inmates are entitled to the information.

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