Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy
(D-Vt., Ranking Democratic Member,
Senate Judiciary Committee,
And Chief Senate Sponsor Of The Innocence Protection Act),
On The DNA Match
In The Murder Of Dawn Hamilton
And The Innocence Case Of Kirk Bloodsworth
September 5, 2003

“DNA is helping to bring long-delayed justice to the families of Dawn Hamilton and Kirk Bloodsworth.

“The wheels of justice broke down in this case, and Kirk Bloodsworth’s nightmare of wrongful conviction has been repeated again and again across the country.

“This is fresh evidence for our drive to enact reforms to make post-conviction DNA testing more readily available.  Who at this point can argue against the importance of preserving DNA evidence and making it available to help make sure we convict the truly guilty and exonerate the truly innocent?”

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