Appeals court revives Mesa County DNA-testing request

Appeals court restores the request

An appeals court has reinstated a Mesa County defendant’s request for DNA testing under a new Colorado law.

The appeals court’s action changes the procedural status of the request: It can once again be considered through the court system. The development concerns whether the defendant may pursue testing, not what any DNA analysis might show.

What reinstatement means

Reinstating a request is different from announcing a DNA result or deciding the underlying case. The court action restores the defendant’s effort to seek testing under the new law.

The next steps will center on how the request is handled and whether DNA testing proceeds. Any later decision on testing would be a separate stage in the process.

Role of the new Colorado law

The defendant’s request places the new Colorado law at the center of the case. The appeals court’s action keeps that legal route open for further consideration.

The case is not directly connected to a candidate or election. It concerns the court process in Mesa County and the application of state law to a request for DNA testing.