Pa. Lawmakers Mull Expanded Access To Post-Conviction DNA Testing
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- A Philadelphia man who spent 25 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit was the star witness at a state Senate hearing on expanding access to DNA testing for people already convicted of crimes.
The legislation being considered by the state Senate Judiciary Committee would, among other things, eliminate the current ban on DNA testing for those who have pleaded guilty to crimes. The panel heard testimony from Anthony Wright, a Philadelphia man jailed for 25 years for a 1991 murder. Wright did not plead guilty but did give a confession he says was coerced. He was found not guilty in a retrial after DNA testing that he had to go to the state Supreme Court to get.
"My case shows how important it is for the law to help the wrongfully convicted get DNA testing," Wright said. "The law shouldn't be an obstacle."
But a representative of the state District Attorneys Association says any changes must strike a balance between allowing for post-conviction DNA testing in legitimate cases without encouraging fishing expeditions.