Innocence Project of Texas
Encyclopedia
Organization
The Innocence Project of Texas was founded in 2007 by the directors of several independent actual innocence organizations in the State of TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to overturning wrongful convictions, and it is staffed by students, volunteers, dedicated attorneys, and an experienced Board of Directors. The organization is based in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, but it accepts cases from across the state. The Innocence Project of Texas investigates both DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
and non-DNA cases.
The Innocence Project of Texas is a member of the recently formed Innocence Network
Innocence Network
The Innocence Network is an affiliation of organizations dedicated to providing pro bono legal and investigative services to individuals seeking to prove innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted and working to redress the causes of wrongful convictions.Most organizations involved are...
, which brings together a number of innocence organizations from across the United States.
See also
- Cornelius DupreeCornelius DupreeCornelius Dupree Jr. is an American who was declared innocent of a 1980 conviction for aggravated robbery, which was alleged to have been committed during a rape in 1979. He had been paroled in July 2010, after serving 30 years of a 75-year prison sentence in Texas...
, exonerated by the Innocence Project - Dallas County District AttorneyDallas County District AttorneyThe Dallas County District Attorney is the elected district attorney of Dallas County, Texas.The office prosecutes violations and offenses of Texas state law.. The office is notable for arguing Roe v. Wade and prosecuting Jack Ruby...
- Dallas DNADallas DNADallas DNA is an American television program that premiered on April 28, 2009 on the Investigation Discovery cable channel. It documents the cooperation of the Dallas County, Texas District Attorney Office with several law school innocence programs...
- Craig WatkinsCraig WatkinsCraig Watkins is currently the district attorney for the Dallas County, Texas, USA. He became the first African American district attorney in Texas when he was elected in 2006....
, Dallas County District Attorney who investigates wrongful convictions - Innocence ProjectInnocence ProjectAn Innocence Project is one of a number of non-profit legal organizations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand dedicated to proving the innocence of wrongly convicted people through the use of DNA testing, and to reforming the criminal justice systems to...