Kamala Harris Defends Not Allowing DNA Testing in the Kevin Cooper Case

EXCERPT:

HARRIS: “Listen first of all, there is no question that I have spent my entire career focusing on reforming the criminal justice system. When you're talking about the marijuana cases -- as attorney general I didn't prosecute marijuana cases. I didn't prosecute any cases the DA did so that's just a flat out lie. We didn't prosecute marijuana cases. I was -- you know, the California Department of Justice, I was taking on the 5 big banks in the United States bringing $20 billion back to the homeowners of California. I was taking on pharmaceutical companies and big oil companies. And prosecuting them when everybody else was shattering in their boots about these -- these powerful special interests. In the Kevin Cooper, case when I found out what was going on there I made a demand and a request and a demand that there be DNA testing. When I found out about that case because I've always been about saying that we need to test DNA. Let me tell you when I became attorney general of California, you know, there was this extensive backlog of rape kits. That nobody -- everybody said oh there's nothing we can do about it. I got rid of that backlog in one year. Because I have always been about saying we need this science to prove innocence or guilt but it has to be a priority. So you know, I it was obviously a political attack. It was meant to you know distort my record because this is somebody who was running against me."