Some Oregon lawmakers want to give more convicted criminals the chance to clear their name.
A House panel heard testimony Wednesday on a measure that would allow more people to use DNA testing to prove their innocence.
Ted Bradford spent nearly a decade in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Bradford was convicted of a 1995 rape in Yakima, Washington. But after he was released, evidence showed another man's DNA at the crime scene and Bradford was acquitted in a second trial.
He said even though was already free, the exoneration was key to putting his life back together.
"After this long struggle, to finally be able to say I'm free, I'm clear of all of this, it means the world to me,” Bradford said.
The Oregon measure would expand the list of crimes that would be eligible for post-conviction DNA testing.
The Oregon District Attorney’s Association opposes the bill. The group says additional testing would be expensive and would be an unfair burden on the justice system.
Copyright 2015 Northwest News Network
