{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Campaigners fight for DNA testing in the United States' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54bc53d8eafeecae12bcbf' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54bc53d8eafeecae12bcbf' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nCampaigners fight for DNA testing in the United States\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003e1. Various of scientist working in DNA laboratory2. Wide of Barry Scheck sitting at desk3. Close of Barry Scheck talking on phone4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Barry Scheck, Lawyer \"Forty to sixty percent of these people turn out to be...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003e1. Various of scientist working in DNA laboratory\u003cbr/\u003e2. Wide of Barry Scheck sitting at desk\u003cbr/\u003e3. Close of Barry Scheck talking on phone\u003cbr/\u003e4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Barry Scheck, Lawyer \u003cbr/\u003e\"Forty to sixty percent of these people turn out to be innocent. Well what about all the other people in jail who've kept on insisting on their evidence and who're there because of a false eye witness identification, claim of false confession, junk forensic science, fraudulent forensic science, prosecutorial misconduct and bad lawyers. Tons of cases with bad lawyers. So we fell we have to go back and pay attention to these people, because we now know through the DNA testing there are a very significant number of people rotting away in jail waiting execution who just didn't do it.\"\u003cbr/\u003e4. Various of woman looking at \"wanted\" posters\u003cbr/\u003e5. Mid of David Shepherd holding his son\u003cbr/\u003e6. Various of David Shepherd and family around table\u003cbr/\u003e7. SOUNDBITE: (English) David Shepherd\u003cbr/\u003e\"It's like taking the worst thing you ever dreamed about and just multiplying it by five.\"\u003cbr/\u003e8. Various of David Shepherd limping \u003cbr/\u003e9. Wide of Shepherd walking with son\u003cbr/\u003e10. Wide of court house\u003cbr/\u003e11.  Various of Shepherd and son looking at court house\u003cbr/\u003e12. SOUNDBITE: (English) David Shepherd\u003cbr/\u003e\"I think the DNA tests should be done at the time of the arrest. At the time the first parts of the evidence are collected, the DNA test should be done. And I think if that was done in the initial stages, if it was done for me, I know I wouldn't be here, and I'm sure that there would be a lot of people who wouldn't be where they're at, had they had the opportunity to do a DNA test.\u003cbr/\u003e13. Various of man being arrested\u003cbr/\u003e11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Barry Scheck, Lawyer \u003cbr/\u003e\"One can't say enough about getting sufficient money. So that lawyers can do a due job representing people charged with serious felonies, or the death penalty in cases. It's a well known fact that there is just so little money adequately put towards this. You are asking people to try major felony cases or death penalty cases, with capped amounts of money and they can't even pay office overheads.\"\u003cbr/\u003e13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Kate Germond, Centurion Ministeries\u003cbr/\u003e\"In this country you basically get the justice you can afford. So if you are pretty wealthy and even a person of colour, you will do better than you will if are a poor person. Most people who are accused of crimes are poor people.\"\u003cbr/\u003e14. Various of Calvin Johnson driving\u003cbr/\u003e15. Various of Calvin Johnson getting out of car and entering home\u003cbr/\u003e16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Calvin Johnson\u003cbr/\u003e\"I was blessed, you know, with attorneys to help me out. I was blessed with people who could take the evidence and test it on my behalf. And I was blessed with a lot of support upon my release.\"\u003cbr/\u003e17. Various of Calvin Johnson and his wife looking at old pictures\u003cbr/\u003e18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Calvin Johnson\u003cbr/\u003e\"Even then at $3,000 or $4,000, $5,000 dollars to get the DNA test done, my mother still had to dip into her retirement, because their funds had been exhausted to try to help throughout the years, any way they could. They went from an upper middle class status living, to just a meagre living.\" \u003cbr/\u003e19. Various of DNA laboratory\u003cbr/\u003eCampaigners in the United States are calling for compulsory DNA testing to prevent wrongful convictions.\u003cbr/\u003eThose involved in the campaign say many people in the US are spending time in jail for crimes they did not commit.\u003cbr/\u003eThe Innocence Project is an organisation specialised in assisting convicts who can prove their innocence through DNA testing.\u003cbr/\u003eIn the past people were convicted by fingerprint and forensic evidence, as well as eyewitness accounts. \u003cbr/\u003eIf there were no forensic traces, the prosecution would rely solely on eyewitness testimony. \u003cbr/\u003eThe Innocence Project says this type of evidence has put thousands of innocent people behind bars.\u003cbr/\u003eBarry Sheck is a lawyer who was instrumental in defending American football player O.J. Simpson in the controversial murder trial. \u003cbr/\u003eHe is one of the world's leading legal advocates of DNA testing, and one of the co-directors at the Innocence Project.\u003cbr/\u003eHe says many people are in jail because of unreliable scientific evidence.\u003cbr/\u003eScheck says DNA testing can help convicted people prove their innocence.\u003cbr/\u003eWith the advancement of science DNA tests have become admissible in courts. \u003cbr/\u003eHuman DNA can be found in blood, hair, saliva, sperm, and skin.\u003cbr/\u003eThe Innocence Project says that since then trails have became more accurate and therefore those who were previously not DNA tested, need to be checked.\u003cbr/\u003eDavid Shepherd served 11 years in jail for a gang rape he did not commit.\u003cbr/\u003eShepherd says his experience was a living nightmare.\u003cbr/\u003eFollowing his release he did not receive compensation because of a previous conviction.\u003cbr/\u003eShepherd says if a DNA test had been carried out when he was arrested he would not have spent so much time in jail.\u003cbr/\u003eScheck says many lawyers are not receiving enough funding to properly represent their clients.\u003cbr/\u003eAn other organisation seeking to free prisoners wrongfully convicted is Centurion Ministries.\u003cbr/\u003eKate Germond is an associate director of Centurion Ministries. \u003cbr/\u003eShe says poor people in the United States often receive unfair legal treatment.  \u003cbr/\u003eCalvin Johnson is an other man who was freed thanks to DNA tests.\u003cbr/\u003eHe served sixteen years in prison for a rape he did not commit. \u003cbr/\u003eJohnson says he was lucky because he had a competent legal team who helped him along the way.\u003cbr/\u003eWhen he was pressed to undergo a DNA test he was found innocent, and subsequently released.\u003cbr/\u003eJohnson says his family spent a great deal of their saving on trying to secure his release.\u003cbr/\u003eToday thanks to a large compensation he enjoys a good standard of living.\u003cbr/\u003eThe Innocence Project provides a team of lawyers based at the Cardozo school of law in New York City. \u003cbr/\u003eUnder Sheck's guidance students re-investigate old cases.\u003cbr/\u003eIf biological evidence like blood or hair samples still exists, they can petition courts to re-open cases. \u003cbr/\u003eThe evidence can then be re-checked using the DNA lab technology. \u003cbr/\u003eDNA is also known as deoxyribonucleic acid.\u003cbr/\u003eIt is a molecule that contains information on each person's genetic code.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv 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