Washington- The latest word now is that the case of porn performer Jack Venice, who has been incarcerated on what I believe is a trumped up rape charge, is going to the Washington state Appeals Court in April.

Judge David Frazier stated yesterday that the city of Pullman has to turn over important evidence that was never given the jury at the trial in 2008. The city of Pullman has been playing it fast and loose with Venice’s conviction all along.

For now, Venice, aka Christopher Jack Reid, continues to serve time in Stafford Creek Corrections Center, Aberdeen Washington, for raping a woman at a Washington State University sorority. Reid is serving more than nine years in prison.

Under the sentence he received two years ago in Whitman County Superior Court, Reid will be eligible for parole in 2020. If he’s released on parole he’ll remain on probation for the rest of his life.

Reid along with co-defendant Kyle Schott, was convicted in October of 2011 of second-degree rape and three burglary counts. Reid told the court he was sorry for what happened to the victim but has always maintained his innocence.

Prosecutors say Reid and a WSU student got drunk and broke into several sororities in search of women to co-star in sex videos. Reid’s attorney Ronnie Rucker called judge David Frazier of the Whitman County Superior Court in November.

At that time Reid brought a motion to continue under state statute RCW 10.73.170 ordering a DNA testing. Reid asked that a cheek swab be performed on the victim’s boyfriend.

According to court findings, the victim, Jane Doe, was administered a vaginal swab after the alleged incident and those samples weren’t able to tie Reid to the case. On the other hand, a DNA test was never administered to the boyfriend of the victim, according to the state.

The state said it didn’t find it relevant enough to do so. Accordingly, attorney Rucker has been in contact with the victim’s boyfriend who was refusing to have the test done.

To this day Reid contends that he wasn’t at the crime scene. In Reid’s argument, the boyfriend, Tyler Cornell, actually had been DNA tested. Reid has also stated that after forensic scientist Lisa Turpen excluded Reid and co-defendant Kyle Schott as possible contributors to the sperm, a reference sample from the victim’s boyfriend Cornell was sent to the state crime lab to be tested, but those samples mysteriously disappeared.

Reid claims there’s a UPS tracking number to prove that the lab indeed received those samples. What also adds weight to Reid’s case, is that the victim couldn’t tell the court whether there had been digital or penile penetration since the room was dark and she had been drinking.

Reid contends that after his trial he also discovered that Jane Doe actually identified someone else [Colin Davis] other than Reid from a photo lineup.

Reid’s original counsel was never made privy to that information, he states. In any event, Judge Frazier allowed Reid to proceed with DNA testing by the state crime lab but under conditions set forth by Prosecutor Denis P. Tracy.

It’s been Reid’s contention that Tracy has withheld evidence to support the rape conviction and hence would not agree to third party testing.

Reid notes that back in November, Tracy refused an email request sent him by a judge in Spokane to allow the DNA testing to be done out of court.

Reid has also asked the court to provide him with chain-of-custody documents regarding the new DNA testing. According to a timeline set by the court, that may come before the end of March.

For updates on the Reid case go to www.udontnojack.com