| First Name | Billy James |
| Last Name | Smith |
| Year of Conviction | 1987 |
| Year of Exoneration | 2006 |
| State of Conviction | Texas |
| Trial, Bench Trial, or Guilty Plea | Trial |
| Type of Crime | Rape |
| Death Sentence | No |
| Life / LWOP sentence | Life |
| Gender of Exoneree | Male |
| Race of exoneree | Black |
| Juvenile | No |
| Type of Innocence Defense |
|
| Description / Quotes from Testimony Concerning Defense | ● Defendant’s sister testified that defendant was asleep during the night that the crime occurred. |
| Did the defendant testify at trial? | Yes |
| Quotes from Exoneree Testimony | “Q: Did you assault [the victim] as she has indicated from the witness stand? A: No sir, I did not. I’ve never seen this woman a day in my life.” |
| Types of evidence at trial |
|
| Type of Forensic Evidence |
|
| Types of Flawed Forensics |
|
| Brief Quote / Description of Testimony | The analyst testified that “there was not a sufficient quantity of seminal fluid to determine genetic markers in this case.” |
| Identity of eyewitness |
|
| Lineup Procedures |
|
| Suggestive Procedures | No ● Show-up – conducted properly immediately following incident |
| Unreliable Identification? | No |
| Quotes from testimony #2 | “Q: Was there any doubt in your mind then that he was the one? A: No. Q: Is there any doubt in your mind now thathe’s the one? A: No.” |
| Highest level reached | NR |
| Citations to judicial opinions | Smith v. State, No. 05‐87‐00191‐CR (Tex. App.‐Dallas Jan. 26, 1988) |