California Penal Code § 1405

Penal Code
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(a) A person who was convicted of a felony and is currently serving a term of imprisonment may make a written motion, pursuant to subdivision (d), before the trial court that entered the judgment of conviction in their case, for performance of forensic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing. (b) (1) An indigent convicted person may request appointment of counsel in order to prepare a motion pursuant to subdivision (d) by sending a written request to the court. The request shall include the person’s statement that they were not the perpetrator of the crime and shall explain how the DNA testing is relevant to their assertion of innocence. The request also shall include the person’s statement as to whether they previously have had counsel appointed under this section. (2) If any of the information required in paragraph (1) is missing from the request, the court shall return the request to the convicted person and advise them that the matter cannot be considered without the missing information. (3) (A) Upon a finding that the person is indigent, they have included the information required in paragraph (1), and counsel has not previously been appointed pursuant to this subdivision, the court shall appoint counsel to investigate and, if appropriate, to file a motion for DNA testing under this section and to represent the person solely for the purpose of obtaining DNA testing under this section. (B) Upon a finding that the person is indigent, and counsel previously has been appointed pursuant to this subdivision, the court may, in its discretion, appoint counsel to investigate and, if appropriate, to file a motion for DNA testing under this section and to represent the person solely for the purpose of obtaining DNA testing under this section. (4) This section does not provide for a right to the appointment of counsel in a postconviction collateral proceeding, or to set a precedent for any such right, in any context other than the representation being provided an indigent convicted person for the limited purpose of filing and litigating a motion for DNA testing pursuant to this section. (c) Upon request of the convicted person or convicted person’s counsel, the court may order the prosecutor to make all reasonable efforts to obtain, and police agencies and law enforcement laboratories to make all reasonable efforts to provide, the following documents that are in their possession or control, if the documents exist: (1) Copies of DNA lab reports, with underlying notes, prepared in connection with the laboratory testing of biological evidence from the case, including presumptive tests for the presence of biological material, serological tests, and analyses of trace evidence. (2) Copies of evidence logs, chain of custody logs and reports, including, but not limited to, documentation of current location of biological evidence, and evidence destruction logs and reports. (3) If the evidence has been lost or destroyed, a custodian of record shall submit a report to the prosecutor and the convicted person or convicted person’s counsel that sets forth the efforts that were made in an attempt to locate the evidence. If the last known or documented location of the evidence prior to its loss or destruction was in an area controlled by a law enforcement agency, the report shall include the results of a physical search of this area. If there is a record of confirmation of destruction of the evidence, the report shall include a copy of the record of confirmation of destruction in lieu of the results of a physical search of the area. (d) (1) The motion for DNA testing shall be verified by the convicted person under penalty of perjury and shall include all of the following: (A) A statement that they are innocent and not the perpetrator of the crime. (B) Explain why the identity of the perpetrator was, or should have been, a significant issue in the case. (C) Make every reasonable attempt to identify both the evidence that should be tested and the 

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