Study of DNA data shows potential for wrongful convictions

Credit: BOB BROWN/TIMES-DISPATCH

Senior Scientist Leigh-Emma Lion works with an inoculation loop, moving colonies from an agar plate in order to extract DNA.

A first peek into Virginia's post-conviction DNA project data shows a potential wrongful conviction rate of 6 percent in the decade and a half before DNA testing was widely available.

The preliminary figure from the Urban Institute, which is studying the results, roughly matches the exoneration rate found in 2005 when testing in a small sample of cases cleared two men of rapes and prompted Virginia's full, groundbreaking project.

The 6-year-old effort aimed at clearing innocent people was made possible by a trove of biological evidence samples discovered stored in Virginia Department of Forensic Science case files dating from 1973 through 1988.

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