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Exoneration shows sex offender registration based on faulty premise

During the legislative process when it first passed, Texas' sex offender registration statute was dubbed "Ashley's Law," named after 7-year old Ashley Estell who was raped and murdered in Collin County in 1993. Authorities at the time decided a man named Michael Blair committed the crime, targeting him in part because he'd been convicted previously of a sex offense.As it turned out, though Blair was no angel, he had nothing to do with Ashley Estell's death. DNA tests this year cleared Blair - who had been sent to death row for the crime - and identified a culprit who died ten years ago without ever being prosecuted for the offense. This week the courts finally dismissed the case against Blair, reports AP. (Though leaving death row he remains in prison for other offenses he admitted to while behind bars...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on September 18, 2008 (boomark / email).