Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012
Legislative News
House of Representatives grants post conviction forensic analysis access
The House of Representatives yesterday engrossed legislation
granting post conviction forensic analysis access. This
legislation, supported by the Massachusetts Bar Association, is
aimed at preventing wrongful convictions. The Senate passed the bill in July.
The MBA has studied and long-advocated on the issue of DNA
testing, and access, for a number of years. In 2005, the MBA held
an annual conference highlighting the necessity
of an individual's access to DNA evidence. As part of its
conference, the MBA's keynote speaker, Calvin C. Johnson Jr., spoke
of his experience of being wrongfully convicted. Having spent over
16 years behind bars in Georgia and finally freed with the help of
the National Innocence Project, Johnson went on to become a
national best-selling author and advocate.