Dear Friends,We’re writing with big news. Last night, as Hank Skinner sat in a holding cell next to the Texas death chamber and execution witnesses were filing into the prison, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order blocking the execution.
The court delayed the execution until the justices could decide whether to grant a full review of Skinner’s case.
This critical victory couldn’t have happened without you. By taking action on Skinner’s behalf through change.org, you helped to raise the level of public discussion about Skinner’s case and his right to DNA testing. The Supreme Court is not immune to such a public outcry, and your voice was heard.
This isn’t over, however. We must now work to keep the pressure on Gov. Rick Perry and others involved in the case to ensure that another execution date is not set before Skinner receives the DNA tests that can prove his innocence or guilt.
As you know, Hank Skinner was convicted of a 1993 triple murder — a crime he has always maintained he didn’t commit. For more than a decade, he has been seeking access untested DNA evidence that could prove his innocence or guilt, but the courts have denied his appeals.
As Innocence Project Attorney Nina Morrison said last night on Larry King Live: “Given the horrible crime that was committed, if Hank Skinner didn’t do it, that means someone else did. Why shouldn’t we do a simple DNA test that could accomplish two things?”
The Innocence Project doesn’t represent Skinner, but we believe that DNA testing should be tested in cases like Skinner’s — where there are questions about guilt to which DNA tests can provide definitive answers.
Download the Supreme Court’s order and learn more about the case and last night’s events: http://criminaljustice.change.org/blog/view/breaking_news_supreme_court_blocks_tx_execution
Thank you for taking action for Hank Skinner and your support for criminal justice reform.
Best,
The Innocence Project
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