{"ID":55619,"name":"District Attorney\u0027s Office for the Third Judicial District v. Osborne","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/cases\/2008\/08-6","view_count":0,"docket_number":"08-6","additional_docket_numbers":null,"manner_of_jurisdiction":"Writ of \u003Ci\u003Ecertiorari\u003C\/i\u003E","first_party":"District Attorney\u0027s Office for the Third Judicial District, et al.","second_party":"William G. Osborne","timeline":[{"event":"Granted","dates":[1225692000],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/40329"},{"event":"Argued","dates":[1235973600],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/40330"},{"event":"Decided","dates":[1245301200],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/40331"}],"lower_court":{"ID":5,"name":"United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/taxonomy\/term\/5"},"facts_of_the_case":"\u003Cp\u003EIn March 1994, William Osborne was convicted of kidnapping, assault, and sexual assault in an Alaska state court. After his conviction, Mr. Osborne sought access to biological evidence that was used to convict him. He intended to use DNA testing that was not available at the time of the trial to prove he was not the source. The District Attorney\u0027s Office (D.A.O.) in Anchorage denied access. Mr. Osborne subsequently filed suit in a federal district court under 42 U.S.C. \u00a7 1983 against the D.A.O. alleging that his 14th Amendment due process rights had been violated when he was denied post-conviction access to potentially exculpatory evidence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe district court granted the D.A.O.\u0027s motion to dismiss and Mr. Osborne appealed. The United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit reversed and remanded the case. On remand, the district court granted summary judgment for Mr. Osborne. The D.A.O. appealed arguing that Mr. Osborne need show the disclosure of evidence would \u0022affirmatively prove that he is probably innocent\u0022 in order to gain access. Further, it argued that an oral confession given by Mr. Osborne after his conviction precluded him from pursuing post-conviction relief.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit affirmed the district court. It held that Mr. Osborne had a limited due process right of access to the biological evidence for purposes of DNA testing. The court dismissed the D.A.O.\u0027s arguments. It reasoned that Mr. Osborne need merely show that favorable DNA results would afford a \u0022reasonable probability\u0022 that he could prevail in an action for post-conviction relief. Further, it found that Mr. Osborne\u0027s oral confession did not foreclose his pursuit of post-conviction relief, as exculpating evidence would raise serious questions about the validity of his confession.\u003C\/p\u003E\n","question":"\u003Cp\u003E1) May 42 U.S.C. \u00a7 1983 be used to obtain post-conviction access to evidence when there is no pending claim for which that evidence could be utilized?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E2) Does the 14th Amendment\u0027s due process clause afford the plaintiff the right to obtain post-conviction access to evidence when plaintiff\u0027s intended claim is foreclosed by evidence obtained through confession?\u003C\/p\u003E\n","conclusion":"\u003Cp\u003EMaybe and no. The Supreme Court held that even assuming that Mr. Osborne could pursue his claims using \u00a7 1983, he had no constitutional right to obtain post-conviction access to the state\u0027s DNA evidence used against him at trial. With Chief Justice John G. Roberts writing for the majority and joined by Justices Antonin G. Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, and Clarence Thomas, the Court deferred to the legislative branch in establishing rules by which convicts can obtain DNA evidence to pursue postconviction relief. It recognized that while the Alaska legislature had yet to establish such procedures, its court system was making progress. Moreover, the Court held that Mr. Osborne\u0027s due process rights were not violated, reasoning that Alaska\u0027s postconviction relief procedures were adequate.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJustice Alito also wrote a separate concurring opinion and was joined by Justice Kennedy and in part by Justice Thomas. He agreed with the majority\u0027s opinion, but also stated that Mr. Osborne\u0027s claim failed for two other reasons. First, he argued that \u00a7 1983 was an inappropriate mechanism for pursuing a federal constitutional right claim when the claim had not been exhausted at the state court level. Second, he argued that Mr. Osborne\u0027s claim should be rejected because a defendant who chooses not to have DNA testing done at the trial level for tactical reasons should not have access to such testing in pursuing postconviction relief. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote a separate dissenting opinion and was joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer, and in part by Justice David H. Souter. He strongly disagreed with the majority holding that prevented Mr. Osborne from having access to evidence that could conclusively prove his guilt or innocence, and thus could ensure justice had been achieved. Justice Souter also dissented. He argued that Alaska had failed to provide sufficiently effective postconviction relief procedures to satisfy the Due Process Clause of the Constitution and thus Mr. Osborne should have had access to the DNA evidence he sought.\u003C\/p\u003E\n","advocates":[{"advocate":{"ID":33955,"name":"Kenneth M. 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