Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> StandDown Texas Project

Criminal Law

: StandDown Texas Project

DNA Testing in Pennsylvania

By standdown

"Voluntary confession should not bar DNA testing in murder appeal, psychologists' group asserts," is the title of Vesna Jaksic's National Law Journal web report.In a friend-of-the-court brief filed with the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the American Psychological Association has asserted that a voluntary confession should not bar the use of DNA testing for a convicted murderer. The APA's brief stems from the case of Anthony Wright, who is appealing a 1993 conviction on charges of first-degree murder, burglary, rape, robbery and possession of an instrument of crime. Wright is serving a life sentence and seeking DNA testing in order to exonerate himself. The APA asserts that numerous psychological factors can cause suspects to confess to crimes they did not commit and that voluntary confessions should therefore not conclusively establish guilt...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on December 04, 2008 (boomark / email).