Court considers Texas death row DNA case

10-13-2010 • Reuters

The Supreme Court on Wednesday considered whether a Texas death row inmate should be allowed to use civil rights law to gain access to DNA evidence that could prove his innocence in a triple murder.

In a case with broad implications for states with the death penalty, the court heard arguments on whether Texas inmate Henry Skinner can use civil rights law to examine DNA evidence rather than a more restrictive federal law under which he would have to prove his conviction invalid.