Eyewitness issues Mistaken eyewitness ID's in recent exonerations have helped lead to changes in standards for police handling of witnesses. Some witnesses now say they were coached or cajoled to identify Jones, or told that he was a suspect when asked to pick him out of photo arrays, practices now frowned on.

Darrell Jones claims he is innocent of the 1985 murder of Guillermo Rodriguez and has asked the court to re-open the case. Here are some of the issues.

Video glitch A key eyewitness interview shown to jurors is disrupted by footage from a 1950s TV show. Police say the glitch was an honest error, but Jones’ attorneys say new technology reveals that police deliberately altered the tape.

Lie detectors Jones failed a pre-trial lie detector test when he was asked if he was the shooter. That prompted his attorney to keep him from testifying in his own defense, since the results could have been used in court to impeach his testimony. In 1989, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court banned use of such tests in criminal trials, saying lie detectors were unreliable.

Biased jury? Jones was convicted by an all-white jury. Now one of the jurors, Eleanor Urbati, says that two other jurors told her they believed Jones was guilty because he was black. Other jurors contacted by NECIR said they didn't hear such comments.

Prisoner’s dock Jones’ defense attorney chose to place him in a prisoner’s dock during the trial, leaving him unable to freely communicate with his lawyer. Some legal experts say this separation prevents a defendant from working with his attorney and could prejudice the jury.

Troubled attorney Jones’ court-appointed attorney was facing discipline hearings in front of the state bar at the time of the trial and later was suspended from practicing law. He also represented three police officers who testified in the trial, which may have posed a conflict of interest.

REASONABLE DOUBT