Friday Roundup: Waiting in Limbo, Walking Free

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We reported this week on the Supreme Court’s last-minute stay in the case of Texas death row prisoner Hank Skinner. Thousands of Innocence Project supporters took action in the case, and now Skinner will wait on the Supreme Court’s decision on whether to take his case.

Read more here

.

Meanwhile, two Connecticut prisoners are also waiting in limbo this weekend. A Connecticut judge ruled last week that Ronald Taylor and George Gould were wrongfully convicted 16 years ago and should be released. They remain in jail tonight, however,

while prosecutors decide whether to appeal the decision

.

A Florida man, Anthony Caravella,

was officially exonerated yesterday

after serving more than half his life in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. And

charges were also dropped Wednesday

in the case of University of Michigan Innocence Clinic client Dwayne Provience, who served nine years for a crime evidence shows he didn’t commit.

A Japanese court today

officially declared the innocence of Toshikazu Sugaya

, who spent 17 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. CNN reported on life after exoneration for

North Carolinian Greg Taylor

, who served 16 years for a crime evidence shows he didn’t commit.

Vermont lawmakers

are considering a bill

that could tighten rules in the state on interrogations and evidence preservation.

DNA testing doesn’t end with humans.

Cat DNA

played a role in a recent murder conviction in Canada and scientists in California are building a database of cat DNA samples.

For more forensic science news from the week,

visit the Just Science Coalition website

.

Photo: Anthony Caravella is exonerated in Florida

(



Amy Beth Bennett, Sun Sentinel)