Paper Topic:

death penalty case that was overturned due to D.N.A. evidence

: death penalty case that was overturned due to D .N .A evidence

Specifications : 2 Pages , 2 Sources , MLA Style

: language double-space essay on a death penalty case that was overturned by the use of D .N .A . evidence

The famous House V . Bell Case (2006 , appealed from the US Courts of Appeals , 6th Circuit was an example in which DNA evidence was used to overturn death penalty . One lady by name Carolyn Muncey was found dead on July 13th , 1985 in Tennessee . The reports suggested that she was sexually attacked before

being killed . There were about 2 witnesses to the case , but both of them did not present consistent information . The Court felt that Paul House had committed the murder and the rape . The lady 's blood was found on the clothes of Paul House and his semen was present on the lady 's clothes and her body . The Union County jury felt that House had committed the murder and rape of Muncey through evidence and sentenced him to death . However , after the jury 's decision was conducted , a post-conviction procedure was held and it was felt that House might be innocent

The court went on to conduct a DNA test on the blood sample present on House 's clothes and the semen sample present on Muncey 's body . However the court did not have enough evidence to prove that House was innocent A question was now put to the court as to the amount of evidence required to prove his innocence . The evidence needed through DNA tests needed to be strong , as it had to overturn a previous Jury 's decision regarding death sentence . Through the evidence presented it was difficult to actually negate each and every point presented previously during the circumstantial evidence . Several cases such as Herrera V Collins and Schulp V . Delo were looked into to determine the outcome of this case . In these cases the court had determined the amount of new evidence required to demonstrate actual innocence

House was previously involved and convicted of several other offences He had utilized torture and cruel intentions whilst murdering Muncey and had also made attempts to rape the victim . The Court through evidence did not find him at his home during the time of the murder . The other evidence that was present was that the women 's blood was on his pants and his semen was presence on the women 's body and clothing . However there was no direct evidence including eyewitnesses and confessions . In 1998 , the Court held a post-conviction trial due to an appeal . He repeatedly claimed that he was innocent . During this trial House presented few evidences to the Court . Firstly , he said that the DNA tests report suggested that the semen was not his . Secondly , the husband of the victim confessed to the crime , which was not strong enough . The third evidence was that the blood present on the dead body was placed on his clothes after the crime was...

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