Honor Victims of Violent Crimes and the Wrongly Convicted THE FIRST EVER DNA AWARENESS MARCH AND RALLY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY Tuesday, August 27th 10 AM-1 PM in Downtown LA DNA Helps Convict the Guilty and Free the Innocent
THE RAINBOW SISTERS PROJECT
INVITES YOU TO JOIN
THE FIRST EVER DNA AWARENESS MARCH
AND RALLY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
To Honor Victims of Violent Crimes and
the Wrongly Convicted
Tuesday, August 27th 10 AM-1 PM in Downtown LA
DNA Helps Convict the Guilty and Free the Innocent
Let Law Enforcement Officials and
Elected Officials Know You Support:
* A Halt to the Destruction of DNA Evidence by the LAPD and LA County Sheriffs
* Adequate DNA Testing Space and Staff for the NEW LA County Regional Crime Lab
* Two DNA-Related Bills currently before the U.S. Congress:
The Debbie Smith Act: authorizes funding testing for backlogged DNA evidence
and testing of new DNA evidence within 10 days of the crime.
The Innocence Protection Act: would increase access to DNA testing for
capital cases.
WHY: TAKE A STAND and let elected officials and law enforcement officials
know, citizens and taxpayers care about the safety of our streets and about
how our money is spent. When there is failure to collect, preserve or
promptly test DNA evidence: crime victims and their families, the wrongly
convicted and our communities suffer.
180,000 - 500,000 rape evidence kits are sitting backlogged, awaiting DNA lab
analysis nationwide. No one knows for certain how many thousands of those
kits remain on California's shelves untested.
LAPD officials acknowledged that they, "accidentally destroyed biological
evidence in at least 1,100 sexual assault cases since 1995," the LA Times
reported (July 30, 2002). Each one of those evidence kits destroyed may have
taken a rapist off the street or freed an innocent man.
Plans for a new -million LA County Regional Crime Lab were recently
approved over criticism that the lab would be "inadequate and obsolete before
they opened its doors." District Attorney Cooley, joined by rape survivors
and advocates, fault the planners for not setting aside sufficient space and
staff for DNA testing and the lab's DNA section will need to hire more
scientists to accommodate requests for testing and to make a dent in the
backlog. The LA Times (June 28, 2002)
Cooley is quoted in the LA Times (May 22, 2002) as saying: "If we're standing
in court, with the whole world knowing about DNA technology, and some agency
hasn't gathered the forensics evidence and had it tested in a timely manner,
then the case will probably fail. DNA technology is the ultimate in crime
prevention, and if anyone doesn't appreciate that ... they are not doing
their job."
"Each one of these stalled (backlogged) cases represents women's lives," says
Debbie Smith, a rape survivor, who has bill named in her honor before US
Congress. "Many women are paralyzed after an attack because their rapist is
still out there, and you never know if he's going to come back." Smith's
emotional testimony moved many Washington lawmakers to tears — and action.
"There are now 109 Americans who have been exonerated by post-conviction DNA
testing," said DNA expert and attorney Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project
testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. "There can be no
doubt the number of wrongly convicted freed by DNA testing would dramatically
increase if the post-conviction DNA legislation were passed by Congress ––
just as apprehension of the real perpetrators of these crimes through DNA
databank "hits" would impressively proliferate. This is a "win-win"
proposition for law enforcement, innocents who rot in America's prisons and
death rows, crime victims, families of all involved, and anyone who loves justice. "
WHEN: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 – 10 AM-1 PM
WHERE: Gather at LAPD Parker Center, Los Angeles St. and First St. for and
rally and picket. We will then cross the street to the Downtown Federal
Building to rally in support two bills before US Congress: the Debbie Smith
Act and the Innocence Protection Act. The next stop will be the LA County
Board of Supervisors Meeting at Temple St. and Grand Ave. Downtown LA.
PARKING: .00 All-Day Parking Lot on 2nd and Los Angeles St.
DID YOU KNOW?....
That Jeri Elster, was raped on August 27, 1992, in Los Angeles and will never
see her rapist prosecuted even though he was identified through a "cold hit"
DNA match. The police and DA failed to test the DNA evidence before the old
six-year statute of limitations had lapsed.
Jeri's testimony and lobbying help change California laws. The new law
enacted on January 1, 2001, effectively eliminate the statute of limitations
on rape when DNA can identify the rapist. This first ever DNA Awareness March
and Rally is being held on the 10th Anniversary of Jeri's assault to honor
her and all rape survivors.
DID YOU KNOW?...
That Herman Atkins, an innocent man spent 12 years of his 45-year sentence
for rape – before he was set free from a California prison. His release came
after a DNA test provided the proof. It took three years to get a judge to
agree to DNA testing of the biological evidence. But when the FBI confirmed
the results, prosecutors released him.
While Herman was in prison the real perpetrator remained free from
prosecution. Herman’s story has helped change California laws, those
incarcerated now have greater access to DNA evidence testing post-conviction.
But, had the crime that Herman was convicted of occurred in the City of LA
instead of Riverside County he might still be behind bars. The current LAPD
system allows evidence in rape cases to be destroyed after four years.
ENDORSED BY: Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN); Murder Victims
Families for Reconciliation (MVFR); The Post Conviction Assistance Center;
Campaign for Criminal Justice Reform; the Innocence Project; Equal Justice USA/Quixote Center and more endorsers TBA.
The Rainbow Sisters Project (rbsistersproject@aol.com), is an LA-based
national group of rape survivor/activists who are dedicated to direct action,
public education, and legislative lobbying to improve the lives of rape
survivors and society as a whole.
For more information: or E-mail rbsistersproject@aol.com or call (310 )458-6368
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