DNA Used to Reverse Felony Conviction

"For the first time in Washington State history, a criminal conviction has been reversed based on DNA testing not available at the time of conviction. The September 13th ruling by Judge H. Robert Hackett of the Yakima Superior Court was made after the Court of Appeals sent the case to the Superior court for an evidentiary hearing." UW School of Law Press Release, Sept. 14, 2006.

Ted Bradford was convicted in 1996 for rape of a Yakima woman. He confessed, after hours of high-pressure interrogation, but he didn't match the description of the rapist, his account did not match the victim's, and coworkers testified that he was at work at the time of the crime. Years after his conviction, new technology made possible the testing of very small amounts of DNA.

Bradford was represented by Jackie McMurtrie, director of the UW's Innocence Project Northwest Clinic, students in the clinic, and UW alumnus (and Trial Ad instructor) Felix Luna.

For more details, see Rape Conviction Overturned, Yakima Herald-Republic, Sept. 14, 2006.

Filed in: DNA, Yakima-County, Hackett, McMurtrie, Innocence-Project, UW, Luna