Lance v. Georgia

Issues: (1) Whether the petitioner was denied due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment by the state courts’ imposition of extra-statutory requirements that the petitioner present “convincing and detailed evidence of his innocence” and demonstrate “due diligence” before obtaining DNA testing critical to determining whether the petitioner is innocent; and (2) whether the Georgia court violated the petitioner’s rights under the Eighth and 14th Amendments by evaluating the impact of favorable DNA results by reference only to a reading of the evidence actually presented at the trial favorable to the state rather than by reviewing the entire record, including the habeas record, in an objective manner and by requiring that the evidence would result in acquittal as opposed to considering broader sentencing implications.