Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence

Created in 2006 by the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission (Commission) is a neutral, fact-finding state agency that is charged with investigating post-conviction claims of actual innocence which result from felony convictions within North Carolina. The Commission is the first and only of its kind in the United States. The Commission is made up eight Commissioners from a broad range of perspectives within the criminal justice system. In addition, the Commission’s day-to-day operations are carried out by a full-time staff of six, along with two grant staff members. The Commission aims to use funding from the 2019 Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence (2019 Grant) award to conduct DNA testing in cases where the Commission’s state funding is otherwise insufficient. The current request for funding is different from past requests in that it focuses on testing rape kits from North Carolina’s rape kit backlog, where the rape kit has not previously been tested in post-conviction cases where the convicted person is claiming innocence. The Commission will use the requested funds to employ two grant staff members. They will be responsible for identification of and investigating cases. Additionally, funds will be used to employ the most appropriate laboratory to conduct DNA testing in qualifying cases where the rape kit can be tested and the results of DNA testing could show innocence. CA/NCF