Justices Rule Inmates Don’t Have Right to DNA Tests

The New York Times

Convicts do not have a right under the Constitution to obtain DNA testing to try to prove their innocence long after being found guilty, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.

In a 5-to-4 decision, the court found against William G. Osborne, a convicted rapist from Alaska. But the decision does not necessarily mean that many innocent prisoners will continue to languish in their cells without access to DNA testing, since Alaska is one of only a few states without a law granting convicts at least some access to the new technology.

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