DNA Forensics Vindicate Over One-Third of Wrongly Convicted
by Anthony Sibley (AJ) on Jul 14, 2013 | Views: 159 | Score: 0
| Exoneration based on DNA Evidence | |
|---|---|
| Sexual Assault (Adult Victim) | 84 |
| Percent of All Exonerations | 37 |
| Homicide | 30 |
| Sexual Assault (Child Victim) | 23 |
| Other Vilent Crimes | 10 |
| Drug and Property Crimes | 0 |
Percent of cases where exoneration was based on DNA evidence
Sources:
law.umich.edu
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In recent decades, DNA evidence has become increasingly mainstream in criminal investigation and legal prosecution and defense. Fortunately, DNA forensics have similarly been retroactively applied to cases involving those convicted before the technology gained acceptance and wide-spread use. Of all exonerations, 37% relied on DNA evidence to determine innocence. Of these, the vast majority have been sexual assault cases.