OK Republicans Pushing Bill to Limit Ability to Prove Innocence

[vvvvvvv]

http://oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB1045

http://www.tulsaworld.com/dailybrea...cle_60c95c39-edc7-5f80-aa73-b979117550e3.html

House Bill 1045 by Rep. Scott Biggs, R-Chickasha, would permit inmates to file a single petition in state court challenging their conviction, and would require the petition to be filed within two years from the date of sentencing. If this bill were to become law, these arbitrary limits could result in thousands of inmates, including the innocent, being left with no legal avenue to challenge their convictions.

Fits right in with "reddest of the red". What they are doing here is keep exonerations based on new evidence or technology (like this recent one where a woman served 20 years before being cleared by DNA and prosecutorial misconduct) from happening.

 

[TedKennedy]

CYA on a grand scale.

 

[perfor8]

Hideously evil.

 

[vvvvvvv]

House vote was 91-6, so I guess we can call it bipartisan.

 

[Mike_60]

As a lifelong conservative I find this bill repugnant and ill thought out.

 

[uncle money bags]

horse ****.

 

[henschman]

Let's all take a step back here and keep our focus on what's important. Everyone respecting the power of the State is more important than whether an individual is guilty or not. All these convicted people being proven innocent really makes the government look bad, and causes people to question their faith in key government employees like prosecutors and police. It also undermines politicians' ability to win elections with "tough on crime" stances. Clearly the answer is to sweep these inconvenient miscarriages of justice under the rug, so people can continue to have pride that we have the best and fairest criminal legal system in the world!

 

[Coded-Dude]

land of the free......

 

[furlong222]

in addition to the cover up implications, its about the money....they don't want to spend the dollars it takes for a reopening of the trial....better to leave the innocent in prison and the guilty at large....than to spend the money - and of course, risk exposing an illegal, maneuvering of evidence, mal practice incident....

 

[vvvvvvv]

Exonerations are bad for business.

I'm sure Bob Macy would've supported this bill.