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How Can Texas’s Junk Science Laws Impact a Criminal Case?
As technology develops, it has improved many aspects of our daily routine. Like all areas of life, the criminal justice field has been significantly impacted by technological advances. Improved crime scene investigation techniques and DNA testing and matching methods have been revolutionary in convicting previously unsolved cases and exonerating innocent people who were wrongly convicted.
However, better technology now means that some methods used in the past are lacking or flawed, and resulting convictions can be challenged. A current case that has garnered substantial national attention has highlighted the issues with what is dubbed "junk science." To learn more about how current science might help get a conviction overturned, speak with a knowledgeable Austin, TX criminal defense attorney.
What does Texas’s Junk Science Law Do?
In 2013, Texas passed Article 11.073 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, otherwise known as the junk science law. This law allows new trials for cases that have been decided based on flawed scientific evidence. To understand what this means, we can look at a recent case involving a condition known as "shaken baby syndrome."
Over the years, many people have been convicted of murder or child abuse when a child was found with symptoms that were associated with violent shaking by an adult. Unfortunately, modern science has revealed that these symptoms can often be misinterpreted. As a result, someone who never shook their baby could go to jail because of outdated science based on faulty studies that falsely suggest guilt. This is the case for a Texas man set to be executed for allegedly killing his infant daughter, who was convicted based on this now-questioned evidence.
The Junk Science Law allows convicts to request a new trial for their case if new science has emerged that debunks the evidence used against them. However, while many convicts have used this act to request a new trial, no one facing execution has gotten their sentence overturned so far. This current case being legislated in Texas is attracting attention because it might set a precedent for overturning capital punishment in the future.
Schedule a Free Consultation with an Austin, TX Criminal Defense Lawyer
If someone you know was put in jail because of outdated scientific or forensic methods that have been proven unreliable, an aggressive Midland, TX criminal defense attorney can offer guidance about using Article 11.073 to request a new trial based on new science. Trying to disprove what is considered incriminating scientific data is overwhelming, but at Morales Law Office, Attorneys at Law, PLLC., we are ready to fight hard for our clients’ rights. We know that the stakes are high and are dedicated to getting just outcomes. Call us at 512-474-2222 to schedule a free consultation.
