Texas Government Code 79.039 – Exoneration Report
(a) Each legal clinic or program in this state that is operated by a law school and that receives financial support from the commission shall submit to the commission an annual report regarding criminal cases:
(1) in which the clinic or program has provided legal services to an indigent defendant during the preceding calendar year; and
(2) in which:
(A) based on a finding of actual innocence, the court of criminal appeals overturns a conviction; or
(B) the governor issues a pardon based on actual innocence.
(b) The report required under Subsection (a) must:
(1) identify each likely cause of a wrongful conviction listed in the report; and
(2) recommend to the judiciary and the legislature best practices, policies, and statutory changes to address or mitigate those likely causes with respect to future criminal cases.
Terms Used In Texas Government Code 79.039
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Year: means 12 consecutive months. See Texas Government Code 311.005