Brandon L. Garrett Collection of Criminal and Death Penalty Trial Transcripts

MSS 2017-01

Brandon L. Garrett Collection of Criminal and Death Penalty Trial Transcripts

Archives Record

View the full archival record in the UVA ArchivesSpace portal.

Dates

  • Creation: 1977-2011

Extent

  • 65 Cubic feet
    65 archival cartons

Abstract

Trial transcripts for Virginia death penalty cases. DNA exonoree trials, and various state criminal trials.

Acquisition Information

This collection was transferred to the archives by Brandon L. Garrett in August of 2017.

Scope and Content

This collection of copies of trial transcripts for criminal state trials, from Virginia, Missouri, Texas, and various other states, was donated to the Law Library by Professor Brandon L. Garrett in August of 2017. About half of the defendants in these cases were DNA exonerees, the most notable case being that of Earl Washington, Jr., an African American man from Virginia who was wrongfully convicted of rape and murder, and spent 17 years in prison and on death row before he was exonerated. The files in which the defendants were exonerated by DNA evidence have copies of forensic reports and police files.

Use Restrictions

Due to the sensitive content of these files, the collection has the following guidelines and restrictions:

1. Case documents and/or direct quotations may be used to illustrate final reports or other publications, but will not contain any identifying victim or witness information. All quotations will be exact reproductions and will contain citations to the record.

2. Names of crime victims and witnesses that are discovered through this resource will not be used or documented in any way, nor will any attempt to contact them be made, with the following exception. Witnesses who testified in their professional capacity (e.g., attorneys, police officers, laboratory analysts, experts, etc.) are not subject to the same protections and may be contacted.

3. For trials involving later-exonerated defendats, that person's background and personal information, including educational, family, medical, and psychiatric history, etc., will not be used or documented, except to state whether mental health issues or mitigating evidence was raised at trial. This restriction applies to, but is not limited to, all documents in the DNA Exoneree Trails Series.

4. Materials in this collection cannot be reproduced.

5. Researchers will be asked to sign a "Researcher Registration Form."