The Supreme Court agreed on April 25 to hear the appeal of Rodney Reed, who was convicted of murder and rape, and who now wants evidence found at the scene of the crime years ago to be tested for DNA, even though a Texas law forbids it because he took too long to raise the issue.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor foreshadowed the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2020 when she questioned the strength of the scientific evidence used to convict Reed.
The case is Reed v. Goertz, court file 21-442. Respondent Bryan Goertz, a Republican, is the district attorney for Bastrop County, Texas. The court granted the inmate’s petition in an unsigned order and, according to its usual practice, provided no reasons why it acted. The case is an appeal from the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.
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