Texas Legislature Tweaks Old Law

On January 27, 2016 I read an article from the Texas Tribune that had the headline Criminal Appeals Court Clears Way for New Trial in Toddler's 1998 Death. The article is about a man named Neal Hampton Robbins who was accused of murdering his at the time girlfriends daughter, Tristen Skye Trivet. The first part of the story introduces us to Mr. Robbins being granted the relief "that he has been due", as well as what happened the day the 17-month old died. Back in 1999 when the tragedy occurred Mr. Robbins was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, but new evidence had come to light when the coroner recanted her statement back in 1999 and stated that she should have ruled the death "undetermined" instead of "homicide." Once 2013 came and the Texas legislature moved around a few things in the law that gives defendants a new challenge if they could prove that there had a been a change in evidence, Mr. Robbins took the chance to send again to be relived from the conviction. Now that the new modified law, which gives criminal defendants the right to challenge ther conviction not onily if science behind evidence used at the orginal trial had changed but also if the scientific conclusions by a testifying expert had change, Mr. Robbins was "improvidently granted" his relief and now roams free. I think this would be a a article worth taking a glance at because it shows that although the court, witnesses, and testifying experts are suppose to make sure they are doing everything right the first time this shows that there should have been more done, not just for this case, but for all future cases alike.