“DNA Testing and the Death Penalty.” American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, https://www.aclu.org/other/dna-testing-and-death-penalty#:~:text=In%20the%20U.S.%2C%20as%20of,are%20not%20sentenced%20to%20death.

In the article, “DNA Testing and the Death Penalty” discusses the technological advancements on DNA. The article discusses the importance of DNA and how convicts deserve to have another DNA testing. In addition, the article cites certain cases such as Earl Washington’s case and Frank Lee Smith’s case.  Deoxyribonucleic acid or short for “DNA is an essential molecule that is part of every cell in our body. Essential, because it enables an embryonic cell to become and exist as a functioning being.” DNA is so important because it differiantiates different people based off the results taken on of a person’s or animal’s skin, saliva, semen, blood, or hair. These biological samples can help “convict or exonorate with great accuracy” as stated in the text. However, this biological evidence will only help if the evidence is “properly collected, preserved and kept from contimination and if the analysis is done correctly.” If these factors are done incorrectly it may give false results and lead to false convictions. For example, Earl Washington who was convicted in 1984 for rape and murder would not have been pardoned in the year 2000 if there was no DNA testing to save him. “DNA tests conducted long after Mr. Washington’s sentencing proved that he was not the rapist.” This shows how DNA advancments have helped exonorations overtime. “In the U.S., as of September 2011, 273 people including 17 death row inmates, have been exonerated by use of DNA tests.”

“DNA Testing and the Death Penatly” is published by ACLU. “The American Civil Liberities Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation’s guadian of liberty” according to ACLU. “The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserver the individual rughtsand liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.” The organization’s attitude towards people’s rights is very strong and professional. The organizations strives to hold the criminal justice system accountable for the mistakes they make and to keep the criminal justice system from making mistakes. We see this by the amount of federal advocacy, supreme court cases, court battles, and the information that they keep to post and file. The ACLU’s authority is to help continue the defense of people’s rights and freedoms. The ACLU’s primary audience is for “all Americans in courts across the country” as stated by the ACLU. Other audiences the ACLU has is the “left-leaning demographic such as immigrants, labor unions, LGBT people, the poor, prisoners, and the severly mentally ill” as stated by the InfluenceWatch. The ACLU’s purpose is to inform the people of the mistakes that happen in the criminal justice system,for the people to knowledgable and informed, and to fight for what’s right. The ACLU’s genre is formal and informative. They use this genre specifically to be able to inform all Americans regardless of their race or socio-economic status. As stated earlier, “left-leaning demographic such as immigrants, labor unions, LGBT people, the poor, prisoners, and the severly mentally ill”. Even though the article does not specifically show emotions, it uses statistics to help bring to light the injustice of the courts. Using certain evidence such as actual cases. For example, “He died of cancer in January 2000, while on death row before the completion of the DNA test results that proved his innocence ten months later.” ACLU uses other sources such as the Innocence Project to help support and verify their information. This article by the ACLU shows how DNA advancements helped exonerations.