Hank Skinner in the Media

In the Hank Skinner murder case, the courts in Texas have denied Skinner the right to a DNA test based on their belief that he does not have enough reason to be given a DNA test. Skinner was at the scene of the crime when the murders of his girlfriend and her two mature sons happened, but he insisted that he had passed out from a mix of alcohol and pain medicine. There were several articles left at the scene of the crime with DNA of the assailant, yet the court would not let Skinner prove his innocence by providing his own DNA. The first set of articles make Skinner look like a victim to our justice system because of their denial to give him a fair trial.

Yet, some of the articles lead the reader to believe that Skinner is simply playing this loophole to his advantage. A few of the articles point out how guilty Skinner really is, and that he and his lawyer are using this DNA test as a means to prolong the court’s decision.  The most interesting piece of information that is used in the second group of articles is that they point out how Skinner and his lawyer did not ask for a DNA test in the first court trial. In my mind, if he knew he did not do it, and knew that there were articles that could prove his innocence through a DNA test, he would use it! Media does a great job of creating a scene that the writer wants the reader to believe even if it is not true. Readers need to see multiple perspectives, and make their own assumptions based on all of the readings. 

In my mind, postponing the execution date for Hank Skinner has not averted injustice. The injustice in this case has been stretched out over a longer period of time, creating an unimaginable amount of chaos in the justice system in Texas. The court is restricting Skinner’s freedom to prove his innocence, making the trial biased. Even if he truly is guilty, he still has the right and the freedom to a fair and complete trial. I really do not care about how this would change the precedent set in the justice system. The court should analyze every crime completely. I do think that Skinner is guilty, but by giving him the DNA test it allows for the decision to be unbiased.