Wrongly convicted gather at Texas Capitol to share stories

AUSTIN (AP) - One by one, nine wrongly convicted men stood up on the floor of the Texas Senate today to explain how innocent men ended up in prison.

All talked about how to prevent it from happening again in this age of DNA testing.

James Giles spent ten years in prison for a rape he did not commit.

Giles said, quote: "I am still hurting. I am still broken."

State officials, law officers and men who lost years of their lives behind bars met in the Capitol for the event was billed as the nation's first "Summit on Wrongful Convictions."

The Washington-based Justice Project says -- since 2001 -- DNA testing has cleared 33 Texans who spent a combined 427 years in prison.

State Senator Rodney Ellis of Houston says he'll sponsor a bill that would require police departments to use specific procedures when presenting live lineups or photos to witnesses.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)