The Texas Tech Innocence Clinic only represents individuals who have been convicted of a felony in Texas State Courts. We do not take federal cases. Despite being located in Lubbock, Texas, we accept cases from all over the State of Texas. We do not take cases still on direct appeal. All avenues of appellate remedies must have already been exhausted before we will consider your case.

We do not accept DWI cases. The majority of our cases involve Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Sexual Assault, or Murder. While most of our clients are currently in prison, it is not a prerequisite. Meaning, you do not have to be currently in prison for us to accept your case, as long as you are still battling the consequences of your conviction.

To submit a case for consideration, you must write a letter to the Innocence Project of Texas at 300 Burnett Street, Suite 160 Fort Worth, Texas 76102. Briefly describe your case and disclose specific information that you believe supports your innocence claim. Then, the Fort-Worth Office will send you a questionnaire that must be filled out and sent back to them. If your case passes that stage of the process it will either be distributed to us or to Texas A&M Fort Worth. If you would like the Texas Tech Innocence Clinic to take your case, you are able to request us specifically.

We regularly receive hundreds of requests for help. Please bear with us, as we try to review those requests as quickly as possible. Once we receive your request, we will begin to collect all records relating to your specific case. Then, we will contact you to discuss issues specific to your case. We may also contact the trial attorney(s) that handled your case, provided you have given us authorization to do so. This process allows us to conduct a preliminary investigation. Once we have concluded our preliminary investigation, we will make a final decision as to whether we can accept your case.

Know Your Rights

All of our cases are reviewed on a Habeas Corpus Writ. A Writ of Habeas Corpus directs persons, usually a prison warden, to produce the prisoner and justify the prisoner's detention. If the prisoner argues successfully that the incarceration is in violation of a constitutional rights, the court may order the prisoner's release. A Writ of Habeas Corpus is authorized by statute in federal courts and in all state courts. An inmate in state or federal prison asks for the Writ by filing a petition with the court that sentenced him. Depending on the claims asserted, the person petitioning for habeas relief may receive an evidentiary hearing at which he can present an oral argument in support of his claims.

The habeas corpus statute limits applicants to one bite at the apple. All claims must be included in the first habeas application because, due to strict procedural requirements, subsequent applications are rarely considered on their substantive merit. Therefore, we urge anyone seeking to file a Writ of Habeas Corpus to seek the assistance of an attorney with experience in habeas law.

Our Promise to You

The Texas Tech Innocence Clinic vows to dedicate its resources, time, and energy to fully investigating all cases it accepts. It is our responsibility to make ourselves available to you. We will communicate with you via written correspondence on a regular basis, and we will meet with you in person as frequently as possible.

If you have any questions, please contact us:
Innocence Clinic
Texas Tech University School of Law
3311 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79409-0004
Phone: 806-742-3990
Fax: 806-775-7954