Access to Justice: The U.S. Supreme Court Permits Prisoners to Challenge Injustices in State Post-Conviction Procedures

Access to post-conviction DNA testing and review of flawed science is critical for incarcerated people with innocence claims. Many U.S. states have passed laws to permit incarcerated people to access those tools. Unfortunately, Texas’s courts have restrictively interpreted laws on post-conviction testing. But on June 26, 2025, in a modest but significant victory for incarcerated people seeking access to post-conviction DNA testing, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed that Texas prisoners have standing to challenge the constitutionality of state procedures in Gutierrez v. Saenz.