That’s great. And, we should be clear: Virginia was right to do the testing. I’ve always thought that death penalty supporters should be adamant about offering any death row inmate the opportunity to seek DNA testing if it might exonerate him (or her). Who wants to execute the wrong guy? Opposition to DNA testing for death row inmates always struck me as an indefensible product of institutional turf protection and CYA thinking. Who cares if it’s embarassing to a prosecutor? Besides, the truth is that if DNA testing can prove guilt or innocence, the odds are it’s going to prove guilt. And if it doesn’t, that’s great news too.
Of course, it’s always better to do it pre-mortem.