Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> Grits for Breakfast

Criminal Law

: Grits for Breakfast

Innocence clinics dodge budget-cut bullet so far

One small bright spot in an otherwise gloomy proposed Texas budget: The draft issued today included funding for the state's innocence clinics at the state's four public law schools, which had been widely rumored as a target of cuts. This morning I attended a press conference (on behalf of my clients at the Innocence Project of Texas) to stress the importance of continuing to fund that post-conviction work. (See initial coverage from the Texas Tribune and the Dallas News.)The highlight for me was getting to meet Claude Simmons Jr. and Christopher Scott, who were co-defendants exonerated in a non-DNA case thanks to the work of the UT-Austin Actual Innocence Clinic. Their example shows in stark terms why the innocence clinics are needed. Their case was initially considered by the clinic at the University of Houston back before the state provided funding for such work...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on January 19, 2011 (boomark / email).