Are DNA exonerations being pursued in every state?

Williamsburg, VA- A recently surfaced Williamsburg case again raises questions about whether local authorities across the state are aggressively pursuing potential exonerations after receiving new DNA evidence in old felony cases.

The Virginia Department of Forensic Science has issued reports that exclude at least 76 felons as the source of biological evidence in their cases. The reports have been tightly guarded in the ongoing, $5 million-plus groundbreaking project, which began in 2005.

The status of most of the 76 cases is unknown, and as of last month, 29 of the felons had not been notified that the new DNA reports existed.

Brandon Garrett, a professor at U.Va.'s School of Law and an expert on wrongful convictions, said there's been no evidence that prosecutors are trying to resolve these old cases that have new DNA evidence.

"We haven't exactly heard reports of any commonwealth's attorneys making some announcement about what they claim to be doing in one of these cases," he said.

The Urban Institute, which is reviewing the confidential project results from the Virginia Department of Forensic Science, said recently that it has tentatively found 37 potential wrongful convictions among the cases.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act with the Department of Forensic Science to obtain documents concerning the 76 defendants whose DNA, as of last month, was excluded by testing. The department refused to release the documents last week, saying they are part of criminal investigation files and are therefore exempt from disclosure.

The Department of Forensic Science also refuses to release information in the 13 of those 76 cases in which the convicted person has died.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/feb/05/tdmain01-case-raises-question-of-effort-ar-1665060/