Timothy Cole Advisory Panel on Wrongful Convictions

During the 81st Legislature, the Texas Legislature passed HB 498 establishing the Timothy Cole Advisory Panel on Wrongful Convictions. This legislation went into effect September 1, 2009. The Advisory Panel was named after Timothy Cole, the first Texan to be posthumously exonerated of a crime through DNA testing. The Advisory Panel was directed to advise the Task Force on Indigent Defense in the preparation of a study regarding the causes of wrongful convictions and make recommendations to prevent future wrongful convictions. 

The Advisory Panel met formally on four occasions and also held a number of subcommittee meetings throughout the year.  In August, the Advisory Panel submitted its report and research to the Texas Task Force on Indigent Defense for publication and distribution.

The Advisory Panel specifically addressed eyewitness identification procedures, the recording of custodial interrogations, open discovery policies, post-conviction procedures, and the feasibility of creating an innocence commission to investigate wrongful convictions. In total, the Advisory Panel made 11 specific recommendations for reform. Pursuant to HB 498 this report and recommendations were presented to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, and standing committees with members on the Advisory Panel. Here are links to the report and research.