Court to decide on convict's right to test DNA
Legal News Center
William Osborne, convicted in a brutal attack on a prostitute in Alaska 16 years ago, says a blue condom holds evidence of his innocence or confirmation of his guilt.
Either way, he says, the Constitution gives him the right to test the genetic evidence to find out.
The Supreme Court was to hear arguments Monday on Osborne's case and announcing whether it has accepted any new appeals.
More than 230 people have been exonerated based on DNA tests performed years after their convictions, according to the Innocence Project, a legal group that has sought genetic testing on behalf of hundreds of prison inmates and led the charge to free those who were wrongly convicted.
In many cases, eyewitnesses picked out the wrong man, often with the victim of one race incorrectly identifying someone of a different color. Among the exonerated were people who confessed to crimes, even though they were innocent.
The woman in Alaska was raped, beaten with an ax handle, shot in the head and left for dead in a snow bank near the Anchorage International Airport. The condom that was found nearby was used in the assault, the woman said.
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IDEA, FAPE, CHILD FIND and IEPs: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees all children with disabilities to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). FAPE starts with a school’s responsibility to identify that a child has a disability (Child Find) and create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to suit the needs of the child.
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Parents need to be persistent, dedicated and above all else aware of the many services and accommodations that their child is entitled to under the law. As early as this point within your child’s special education, many parents will often find themselves in the situation asking, “is now the time to really call a special education lawyer?” Here are a few things to consider when asking yourself that question.