The most hopeful scenario possible for innocent inmates fighting a wrongful conviction is when DNA testing of existing evidence might be enough to exonerate them. DNA holds out an unparalleled promise of certainty. As far as evidence goes, it’s the gold standard; solid science. Just last month, a Louisiana man became the 300th inmate in the U.S. exonerated by it. Yet DNA evidence plays no role in 90 to 95 percent of criminal convictions and the inmates in such cases' subsequent innocence claims. Often biological evidence simply doesn’t exist. Sometimes it has been badly degraded or has ... Read More
