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On March 7, 2011, the Supreme Court ruled Skinner may sue Gray County District Attorney Lynn Switzer in federal court to have full DNA evidence tested.
As explained above, his execution date is scheduled for November 9. On September 2, his attorneys petitioned the Gray County district court to compel DNA testing of key evidence not done so far. It's still pending.
On September 1, Texas law SB 122 took effect. It's to ensure procedural barriers don't prevent prisoners from testing all relevant biological evidence, including what previously wasn't examined.
Skinner's life depends on whether Gray County district court upholds the law or, with time running out, whether further appeals for justice so far denied are possible.
A Final Comment
On September 10, a Washington Post editorial headlined, " In Texas, a rush to execute," saying:
In a September 7 Republican presidential candidate debate, Governor Perry was asked if he "struggled to sleep at night," worrying that innocent victims were among the 234 executions on his watch.
"No sir," he responded. "I've never struggled with that at all." Imagine if he's elected president.
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