Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Marvin Wilson: How Texas is using literature rather than scientific methodology to kill a clearly retarded man - to circumvent the U.S. Supreme Court.


STORY: "Only in Texas: The grave error of using literature rather than scientific methodology to assess mental retardation in a capital sentence case," by Danielle Citron, published in "Concurring Opinions" in July, 2012. (Danielle Citron is a professor at the University of Maryland Law School).

GIST: On August 7, Texas plans to execute Marvin Wilson, a man who received a 61 on the standard Wechsler full-scale I.Q. test, a score placing him below the first percentile of human intelligence and far below the I.Q. threshold for mental retardation (MR). His adaptive functioning registers at an even lower percentile. In 1998, a Beaumont jury convicted and capitally sentenced Mr. Wilson for the 1992 murder of Jerry Williams, which allegedly occurred after a fight at a gas station. Despite enrolling in special education classes throughout his childhood, Mr. Wilson failed the 7th grade. He received mostly Ds and Fs when he repeated it, as well as when he was socially promoted to 8th and 9th grades. He dropped out of school for good in the 10th grade. Friends and family swore affidavits stating that, as a child, he frequently clamped his belt so tightly that he cut off blood circulation, that he couldn’t use simple toys such as tops and marbles, and that he sucked his thumb into adulthood. According to the MR expert who assessed him, Mr. Wilson continues to be unable to perform even the simplest tasks without assistance.........Texas has executed more than four times as many people as any other state in the modern era. It is now poised to carry out the particularly egregious execution of Mr. Wilson—one that underscores the jurisdiction’s ongoing status as this country’s most extreme outlier on all issues pertaining to capital sentencing. Mr. Wilson was diagnosed with MR by Dr. Donald Trahan, a court-appointed, board certified neuropsychologist with 22 years of clinical experience as an MR specialist. (See this addendum to his report as well). At Mr. Wilson’s MR hearing, the state presented no evidence whatsoever; it has never offered any expert opinion, in any form, challenging Dr. Trahan’s clinical diagnosis. The state court actually reasoned that Mr. Wilson did not have MR because he “functioned sufficiently in his younger years to hold jobs, get a drivers license, marry and have a child.” In the absence of judicial or executive intervention, Texas will execute Mr. Wilson next Tuesday, pursuant to the bizarre criteria that its state courts use to identify offenders with MR. Utilizing the AAMR/AAIDD’s clinical criteria for mental retardation, Dr. Trahan met with Mr. Wilson for eight hours, reviewed his school and medical records, and administered or evaluated a battery of leading neuropsychological testing. He examined Mr. Wilson’s memory, language development, adaptive skills, conceptual reasoning, practical skills and other scientifically-recognized indicia of mental functioning. Taking into account all of that data, Dr. Trahan concluded that Mr. Wilson clearly had mild MR. Texas, however, has translated the Supreme Court’s categorical ban on executing offenders with MR in a way that does not, in practice, exempt most offenders with that intellectual disability. Instead, Texas has improvised a set of “Briseño factors” (named after the Texas decision that announced them) to determine which defendants with MR actually receive the Atkins exemption. The Briseño factors are not used by any scientists or clinicians in medical practice, and they are not recognized by the AAMR/AAIDD. The Texas Court of Criminal appeals—the state supreme court for the purposes of criminal adjudication—has actually indicated that it formulated the Briseño factors with Steinbeck’s Lennie in mind. Although literature can tell us much about society and law, by my lights, it should not replace or disregard well-accepted scientific measures of evaluation. That no doubt seems obvious to our readers, but no so to the Texas Court of Criminal appeals. As the AAIDD wrote in their recent brief in Chester v. Thaler, another case involving the Briseño factors that is pending before the Supreme Court: “[The Texas] impressionistic ‘test’ directs fact-finders to use ‘factors’ that are based on false stereotypes about mental retardation that effectively exclude all but the most severely incapacitated.”

The entire post can be found at:

http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2012/07/only-in-texas-the-grave-error-of-using-literature-rather-than-scientific-methodology-to-assess-mental-retardation-in-a-capital-sentence-case.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Bulletin: Govinda Mainali: Prosecutors rebuffed. Appeal Court upholds order to suspend life sentence and grant new trial. The Mainichi.


STORY: "Order for retrial of Nepalese man upheld," published by Mainichi on July 31, 2012.

GIST: "At the July 31 hearing, prosecutors asserted that "the only thing that can be gleaned from the new DNA evidence is that a third party had sex with the victim on the night she died," and furthermore that DNA in a substance on the victim's hand "suggests (Mainali) could be the murderer. Presiding Judge Shoichi Yagi, however, rejected both positions."

The entire story can be found at:

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120731p2a00m0na014000c.html

For background on this case see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Yasuko_Watanabe

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Dr. Michael Belenky: Former Calgary pathologist denies claims in lawsuit over death of child; The Calgary Herald.




The entire story can be found at:

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/Pathologist+denies+claims+lawsuit+over+death+child/6984045/story.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Bulletin: Cameron Todd Willingham. (Aftermath of Forensic Science Comm. Hearings) New Texas fire marshal vows reform. Grits for Breakfast;



STORY: "State fire marshal pledges to assist in innocence review of old arson cases," published by "Grits for Breakfast" on July 30, 2012.

GIST: "Texas' new state fire marshal, Chris Connealy, told the Forensic Science Commission on Friday that he will use recommendations in the commission's report on the Todd Willingham arson investigation as a blueprint for reforming the agency, and even "go beyond" them. The former Houston and Cedar Park fire chief, who took the job about a month ago, embraced scientific advancements in the arson field that the agency heretofore strongly resisted. The fire marshal will update its training and standard operating procedures, he said, and create a new science advisory committee. Connealy also pledged to work with my employers at the Innocence Project of Texas (IPOT) to review arson convictions of current TDCJ inmates for potentially valid innocence claims based on flawed forensics. I got to visit a bit with Mr. Connealy after the meeting and he seemed just as committed to confronting flawed arson forensics as his predecessor seemed committed to ducking the issue. Frankly it was a breath of fresh air."

The entire story can be found at:

http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.ca/2012/07/state-fire-marshal-pledges-to-assist-in.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am following these issues. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Bulletin: David Eastman: Full Supreme Court Bench says second inquiry is necessary to provide for scientific advances. Canberra Times.



STORY: "Eastman closer to fresh inquiry" by reporter Lewis Andrews, published on the Canberra Times on July 31,  2012.

GIST: "David Harold Eastman can have another judicial inquiry if he can cast fresh doubt on the soundness of his murder conviction, a court has ruled. A full bench of the ACT Supreme Court overturned yesterday the decision of Justice Shane Marshall, who earlier this year ruled he had no power to order a second inquiry into findings that Eastman shot assistant police commissioner Colin Winchester in 1989. The three judges said Justice Marshall's interpretation could bar innocent people exonerated by scientific advances from rightfully obtaining a fresh review. 'The consequences of the construction accepted by His Honour [Justice Marshall] would be that if, for example, advances in forensic medicine proved the innocence of the person convicted, no further inquiry could take place,'' they wrote. And the ruling also paves the way for Eastman to again make his case before Justice Marshall, relying on fresh questions about his guilt.........Eastman's lawyers have a string of grounds they will seek to put before the judge. Chief among them is the emergency of an old friend who claims he borrowed Eastman's car to go rabbit shooting in the 1980s and left his rifle in the boot. Eastman's lawyers will argue it could explain the presence of gunshot residue in the car They will also point to the high-profile British case of a Barry George, wrongly convicted but eventually acquitted of murder after doubt was cast on the reliability of ''low-level'' gunshot residue."
The entire story ca be found at:

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/eastman-closer-to-fresh-inquiry-20120730-23aij.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Bulletin: Ivan Hank: (Neb); New hearing ordered; Court rules rights violated when former CSI Commanded David Kofoed planted blood evidence: KMTV.


http://www.kmtv.com/news/local/163128416.html

See World_Herald story by reporter John Ferak at:

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120720/NEWS/707209921

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Japan: Govinda Mainali: Court's decision granting a retrial expected to be maintained - in spite of prosecutor's objections. Yomiuri Shimbun.

GIST: "The Tokyo High Court said it will decide next Tuesday whether to approve or reject the prosecutors' objection to the court's decision to order a retrial for a Nepalese man who was initially found guilty in a 1997 murder case. As deliberations on the objection are taking place less than two months after the objection was made, the court's decision to grant the retrial for Govinda Prasad Mainali over the murder of a female employee of Tokyo Electric Power Co. will likely be maintained.........In a hearing on the objection Tuesday, prosecutors insisted the court's decision was based on a DNA examination indicating a third person may have been involved in the murder, which was approved as new evidence. But prosecutors argue that reviewing unrelated evidence runs counter to precedents concerning requests for retrials. On the other hand, the defense team argued the court's decision is appropriate as previous cases show old and new evidence have always been examined comprehensively."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120725005968.htm

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Drew Peterson: Do two causes of death in a circumstantial case constitute reasonable doubt? Reporter Dan Rozek; Chicago Sun-Times;



GIST: "Perhaps the biggest hurdle for prosecutors is that Savio’s 2004 bathtub drowning death — which occurred while she still was fighting with her ex-husband over their finances — initially was ruled an accident. It was only after Peterson’s fourth wife, Stacy, vanished in October 2007 that her death was re-examined and, after a new autopsy of her remains, labeled a homicide. Just convincing jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that the 40-year-old Savio was murdered could be a tough sell for prosecutors. “Are not two causes of death reasonable doubt?” asked Richard Kling, a law professor at Chicago Kent College. “I think the prosecution has a hard burden to overcome just on the autopsies.”"

http://www.suntimes.com/news/14040193-418/circumstantial-case-means-it-could-be-hard-to-convict-drew-peterson.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Richard Munro (Former Police Inspector): Jailed for fixing the time of death: BBC News.

A former policeman has been jailed for five years for withholding evidence from prosecutors while investigating a murder in Fife 17 years ago. Richard Munro, 53, was found guilty last month of attempting to defeat the ends of justice, after a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. As a detective inspector he led the investigation into the killing of Andrew Forsyth in Dunfermline in 1995. Steven Johnston and Billy Allison were jailed for murder then later acquitted.........At the time, two suspects emerged, Mr Johnston and Mr Allison who had been involved in a fight with Mr Forsyth on Friday 3 November, but claimed to have left him alive and well. Mr Forsyth's body was found six days later, and prosecutors hung their case on the murder having been carried out on the Friday. But it emerged crucial evidence was suppressed by Munro and kept hidden from both the crown and the defence."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-18982243

The Court decision freeing the two men convicted because of Munro's obstruction of justice can be found at:

http://www.mojoscotland.com/steven_johnston/b_s_appeal.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Bulletin: Malcolm Ricketts; Judge pronounces guilty verdict in shaken baby syndrome case; He proclaims innocence as being led out. Toronto Star.



STORY: "Father guilty of maiming infant daughter," by reporter Emily Jackson, published in the Toronto Star on July 27, 2012.

GIST: "A courtroom erupted in anger after a Toronto man was found guilty of permanently maiming his baby girl, and assaulting and attempting to choke her mother. Justice Bonnie Croll found Malcolm Ricketts, 22, guilty of five counts of violence against his girlfriend, Christina Hammond, 21, and their then-infant daughter, Heaven Hammond-Ricketts. On Jan. 21, 2010, Ricketts assaulted Hammond in her apartment during a “tug of war” fight over who would hold the baby. Heaven broke 10 ribs in the altercation when Ricketts squeezed her, Croll ruled. Weeks later, a fussy 3-month-old Heaven suffered “catastrophic” injuries after being left alone with Ricketts as he tried to quiet her. Violent shaking was the “only possible explanation” for her injuries, which included bleeding in the brain, two fractured legs and hemorrhaging retinas, Croll said. “There is no other explanation for the constellation of harm this tiny baby suffered,” the judge said. But as he was escorted from the room, Ricketts shouted, “I didn’t do anything.” Both his family and the Hammonds believe he is innocent, which they loudly proclaimed in court. Tensions escalated between the families — the Ricketts blame the Hammonds’ inconsistent testimony for the verdict — and about a dozen officers were called in to keep the peace......... Heaven remains in the care of her mother and grandmother. Ricketts, a dancer and artist, will likely appeal the verdict.""

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/1233390--father-guilty-of-maiming-infant-daughter

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Have DNA Databases produced false convictions? The Double Helix Law Blog; (Must Read; HL).


About a year ago, I asked whether any false convictions have resulted from DNA database searches. [1] Of course, if there are any, they might be hard to find, but there is a known recent case of a false initial accusation. It came about because a laboratory contaminated a crime-scene sample with DNA from an whose DNA was on file from other cases. In March 2012, a private firm in England re-used a "plastic tray[] as part of the robotic DNA extraction process." [2] The tray, which should have been disposed of, apparently contained some DNA from Adam Scott, a young man from Exeter, in Devon. [3] This DNA contaminated the sample from the clothing of a woman who had been raped in a park in Manchester. Police charged Scott, who claimed he had never been to Manchester, with the rape. After detectives realized that Scott "was in prison 300 miles away, awaiting trial on other unrelated offences" at the time of the rape, the charges were dropped. [3] An audit and investigation of 26,000 other samples analyzed after the robotic system had been introduced, uncovered no other instances of contamination. Steps intended to prevent a repetition of the error have been implemented. ......Other errors in handling samples have been documented........."

The entire post can be found at:

http://www.personal.psu.edu/dhk3/blogs/DoubleHelixLaw/2012/07/have-dna-databases-produced-false-convictions.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Bulletin: Illinois Richard Britts: Father's acquittal is latest case calling "Shaken Baby Syndrome" into question. Illinois Times.




STORY: "Springfield father cleared of shaking infant daughter: Three-month-old recovered after apparent seizure," by reporter Patrick Yeagle, published in the Illinois Times on July 27, 2012.



GIST: "Richard Britts of Springfield told the police again and again that he never harmed his then three-month-old daughter, Saniya. “Right now, I know all fingers are pointing at me, man, but I love my baby,” Britts told police in a January 2010 interview. “I would never hurt her like this, man.” A jury last week found Britts not guilty on two counts of aggravated battery to a child, two years after he was arrested on suspicion of shaking his daughter. Britts found Saniya, now two years old, unresponsive and limp in her crib in 2010, and brain scans showed bleeding on Saniya’s brain, prompting charges against Britts. It’s the latest case calling into question “shaken baby syndrome” – a triad of symptoms that some doctors say can only be caused by violent shaking. Other doctors, however, say existing medical problems can cause the same symptoms, casting doubt on a diagnosis that has landed several people nationwide behind bars.........At Britts’ trial, jurors heard testimony from doctors with opposing views about what caused Saniya’s medical condition. Dr. Channing Petrak, a pediatrician at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, testified that Saniya must have been shaken – and possibly hit – to explain the bleeding on her brain. But Dr. John Plunkett, a retired pathologist from Minnesota who studies cases involving allegations of baby shaking, testified that the child apparently suffered a seizure. Deborah Tuerkheimer, a law professor at DePaul University in Chicago, says she may include Britt’s case in an upcoming book examining shaken baby syndrome in the legal system. Tuerkheimer says the case shows juries are beginning to question shaken baby diagnoses." “It’s still pretty arbitrary how these cases are coming out,” Tuerkheimer said. “In general, we’re observing a trend toward greater skepticism.”"
The entire story can be found at:

http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-10301-springfield-father-cleared-of-shaking-infant-daughter.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Australia: Parliamentary committee rejects criminal cases review commission - but backs new appeal rights and a forensic science review panel.



STORY: "New appeal rights and a Forensic Review Panel to expand existing rights to criminal appeals," as summarized by Dr. Robert N. Moles, who, with Bibi Sangha [senior lecturer Flinders Law School], is a joint author of Forensic Investigations and Miscarriages of Justice – the Rhetoric Meets the Reality (2010) Irwin Law Toronto, Federation Press Australia. (A superb book previously reviewed on this Blog. They have played a monumental role in the battle to obtain an independent criminal cases review process for Australia. (HL);

GIST: "A South Australian Parliamentary Committee has recommended the establishment of new criminal appeal rights, and new mechanisms to review flawed forensic evidence in criminal cases. The Legislative Review Committee of the South Australian Parliament has considered a proposed Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill. Whilst it does not recommend the establishment of a Criminal Cases Review Commission it does make some other important recommendations.........The Committee noted that there were changing opinions about the reliability of science and the new technologies involved. It said there should be a new Forensic Science Review Panel for a person to have evidence tested where it might reveal new information which might cast a reasonable doubt about the guilt of a convicted person. It noted that the NSW DNA Panel can only look at convictions occurring after 2006 and to the testing of DNA evidence. It said that the new forensic review body in South Australia should not be subject to such limitations. It should include toxicology, pathology and the testing of other chemicals or materials. The new Forensic Review Panel should be comprised of two legal practitioners with not less than 10 years standing and one representative from each of victims rights, the forensic science centre, the DPP and police. Clearly there could be conflicts of interest if the forensic science, police and prosecution personnel are drawn from the same pool as those involved with the original convictions. However, given that the proposed Panel would not be a permanent body, “but meet regularly as required”, it would be appropriate to seek advice in those areas from people with appropriate standing from interstate. The Committee said that the panel could arrange for further forensic testing to be done. Most importantly, the Committee said that the Forensic Review Panel should be able to refer a case to the Court of Appeal for review of a conviction following upon the receipt of the forensic test results. It said that the Panel should have regard to the consequences for any registered victim of the offence to which the application relates. Quite what this means or how it should be accomplished for the purposes of a forensic review committee was not made clear, but the Committee was obviously concerned that victims rights should be respected throughout any such process. The Committee said that the Panel should have powers of investigation, including the power to obtain documents and samples from police and the courts, and the power to call its own experts. The Panel should then prepare a report and where appropriate refer the new material directly to the Court of Criminal Appeal. It should also have the power to make reports and recommendations to the Attorney-General regarding changes to legislation, policies and strategies as a result of their findings......... Not quite as broad as a Criminal Review Commission, but a clear policy and strategic initiative nonetheless."

The entire summary can be found at:

http://netk.net.au/CCRC/CCRC38.asp

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring these issues. Keep your eye on The Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Bulletin: Andrew Mallard; The Australian provides more details of prosecutor Ken Bate's failure to disclose crucial information to the defence;



The entire story can be found at:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/mallard-case-prosecutor-fined/story-e6frg6nf-1226435173446

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Bulletin: Andrew Mallard; Australia; His prosecutor, Ken Bates, fined $10,000, reprimanded for professional misconduct. Perth Now.




STORY: "Mallard prosecutor Ken Bates fined $10,000, reprimanded," by reporter Phil Hickey, published in Perth Now on June 25, 2012.

GIST: "The State's top Crown Prosecutor in the wilful murder trial of Andrew Mallard has been hit with a $10,000 fine for "unsatisfactory professional misconduct in the case. Prosecutor Ken Bates' conduct during the trial, which ran from September to November 1995, “fell short to a substantial degree”, the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) ruled. Andrew Mallard spent 12 years in jail for the 1994 murder of Mosman Park jeweller Pamela Lawrence. His conviction was quashed in 2006 and he was later granted a $3.25 million ex-gratia compensation payment.........In its statement the SAT said the fine handed down to Mr Bates was the maximum fine available and that he had "accepted responsibility for his conduct."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/mallard-prosecutor-ken-bates-fined-10000-reprimanded/story-e6frg12c-1226434968276

See earlier story by reporter Colleen Egan, published in the West Australian, on the decision to charge Bates with professional misconduct: "However, the Legal Profession Complaints Committee decided not to commence proceedings against Mr Bates in the SAT on the more serious allegation that he deliberately withheld evidence. In a letter explaining its response to a complaint by Mr Mallard, who spent almost 12 years in jail for Mrs Lawrence's murder before being exonerated in 2006, the committee said it accepted Mr Bates' explanation that he accidentally overlooked a forensic test. The test on a pig's head before Mr Mallard's trial showed the injuries to Mrs Lawrence were unlikely to have been caused using a Sidchrome wrench. Despite being told about the test, Mr Bates conducted the trial on the basis of a false confession that included a claim that Mrs Lawrence was killed with a Sidchrome wrench. "Having considered this issue, the committee is of the view that the proposition that the practitioner deliberately withheld the relevant information of the pig's head testing appears extremely unlikely," the committee's complaints officer wrote. "The committee considers that the practitioner's explanation is plausible, that is, that he failed to recall such information."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/12248096/mallard-lawyer-to-face-tribunal/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Why Tarrant County has many fewer exonerations than Dallas County?" Lack of full disclosure procedures may be key; Bob Ray Sanders. Star-Telegram;



GIST: "The sickening statistics in Dallas County got me wondering why things were so different in the adjoining county of Tarrant, where there has been only one exoneration since 2001, the year Mark Amos Webb was freed after serving 13 years of a 30-year sentence for a sexual assault he did not commit.........So, the simple answer as to why Tarrant County's exoneration rate is lower than Dallas' is that Tarrant County has made fewer mistakes than the larger county to the east. Conder attributes that to the fact that Tarrant County has always had "a lot more disclosure" than Dallas, having had for a long time an open-file policy permitting defense attorneys access to prosecutors' files before trial. Dallas County didn't institute such a policy until 2006. "Cases that shouldn't have been tried, we didn't try them," Conder said. This is not to say that there are no other wrongly convicted people from Tarrant County, but it's good to know there have long been procedures in place that helped prevent many of the horrendous miscarriages of justice we've seen in Dallas and other places around the state."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/07/21/4115994/why-tarrant-county-has-much-fewer.html

For a contrary point of view (also with thanks to the Wrongful Convictions Blog):

http://wrongfulconvictionsblog.org/2012/07/24/6053/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Bulletin: Malcolm Ricketts; Ontario; Child abuse trial: Father’s role in maiming baby not proved, defence says. Decision July 27. Toronto Star.

STORY: "Child abuse trial: Father's role in maiming baby not proved, defence says," by reporter Peter Small, published by the Toronto Star on July 19, 2012.

GIST: "There are too many unanswered questions about what caused catastrophic injuries to a 3-month-old baby to send her father to jail, his lawyers say. The Crown has not proven baby Heaven Hammond-Ricketts’ injuries were caused by a human hand, and even if they were, it has not proven the father, Malcolm Ricketts, 22, was the cause, a judge was told Thursday. As Stanford University radiology professor Patrick Barnes reported, when reviewing Heaven’s records, it cannot be assumed her caretakers were responsible for her injuries, defence lawyer Haiyun Wong argued in her final submissions. But prosecutor Laura Bird said medical evidence from several doctors — including child abuse expert Michelle Shouldice at the Hospital for Sick Children — shows Heaven was the victim of trauma inflicted on at least two occasions in 2010. “She was violently shaken, resulting in a brain injury that immediately caused her to be lifeless,” Bird said. And Ricketts’ reported hair-trigger temper and evidence indicating he abused the child’s mother, Christina Hammond, point to him as the perpetrator, she told Ontario Superior Court Justice Bonnie Croll.........The judge has reserved her decision until July 27."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/1229122--child-abuse-trial-father-s-role-in-maiming-baby-not-proved-defence-says

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Aurora: The social media forensics begin...A brilliant "template" by Garance Franke-Ruta; The Atlantic;

STORY: "Aurora and the Template of our grief, by Garance Franke-Ruta, published in the Atlantic on July 23, 2012. (" Garance Franke-Ruta is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where she oversees the Politics Channel). Thanks to Joe Gamso for drawing this insightful "template" to our attention in his Blog "For the Defence."

GIST: "The way mass casualty stories unfold in America has taken on a chilling familiarity. "As New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg again calls for gun-control efforts from our national leaders and critic Anthony Lane examines whether the shooter in Aurora, Colorado, could have been inspired by the villain in The Dark Knight Rises, it's clear that we as a nation have developed an awful template for reacting to our growing catalog of domestic mass-casualty events. The age of new media being now well-established, it goes a little something like this: First we get the shaky camera phone videos and the tweets. Then the distraught eyewitness interviews and 911 call recording. Quickly, the shooter is identified. Politicians issue statements of shock and sorrow. The shooter's parents, if interviewed, are confused and abashed or else hide. The social media forensics begin........."

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: "This brilliant all-too-realistic template for all-to-prevalent horrific public events got me thinking that it's time for this Blog to start paying attention to the risk that social media forensics - and the experts who opine on it - poses to the court process, when the electronic "evidence" it is based upon is not properly gathered, preserved and analyzed for use in court. I would appreciate hearing from our readers on any cases, situations or research that may be fodder for our mill.

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;

-------------------------------------------------

The entire post can be found at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/07/aurora-and-the-template-of-our-grief/260110/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring these issues. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;

Monday, July 23, 2012

P.C. Simon Harwood; U.K. Without "admirable determination" of Tomlinson family cause of death would still be "natural causes." Observer editorial.



EDITORIAL: "A reformed, ethical police force is long overdue," published by the Guardian on July 22, 2012.

GIST: "If it were not for the admirable determination of the Tomlinson family, their lawyers, the campaigning charity Inquest and the video footage of a lay witness, the Crown Prosecution Service, the IPCC and the Metropolitan police would have succeeded in avoiding an investigation into Mr Tomlinson's death by suggesting that he had died of natural causes. As Deborah Cole of Inquest points out, the police watchdog's failure to treat the police version of events with "a healthy degree of scepticism" is detrimental to its independence and credibility. Poor evidence gathering, misinformation given to the family and the hiring of a discredited pathologist, Dr Freddy Patel, a choice that made it difficult for the jury last week to convict on the evidence before it, added weight to a belief that there is one law for the public and another for the police."

The entire editorial can be found at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/22/observer-editorial-police-reforms-must-go-far

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Innocence Projects; They are cropping up in Latin America - but face DNA evidence preservation and crime scene protection obstacles. Fronteras Blog;


http://www.fronterasdesk.org/news/2012/jul/19/innocence-projects-crop-latin-america/#.UAqip0RreHl

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Bulletin: Stephanie Spurgeon: Florida; Loses bid for new trial based on non-disclosure of exculpatory information relating to medical examiner.

STORY: "No new trial for Palm Harbor woman convicted of manslaughter in day care," by reporter Curtis Krueger, Published in the Tampa Bay Times, on July 20, 2012.

GIST: "A judge has denied a motion to order a new trial or dismiss charges against Stephanie Spurgeon, a former Palm Harbor day care operator who was convicted of manslaughter in the death of a child. After Spurgeon was convicted in February, defense attorneys learned the medical examiner had said it was theoretically possible for a young child to have caused the fatal injuries to Maria Harris, the infant who died. Attorneys filed the motion, saying this information should have been disclosed to them before trial. But Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Chris Helinger on Friday ruled that this did not warrant dismissing the charges or ordering a new trial......... Spurgeon is awaiting her sentence;"

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/no-new-trial-for-palm-harbor-woman-convicted-of-manslaughter-in-day-care/1241430

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

DOJ/FBI review of thousands of hair and fiber cases. Texas should follow suit, (including Pikett dog scent cases), says Grits for Breakfast.


STORY: "Texas should conduct review of hair and fiber forensics comparable to feds," published by "Grits for Breakfast" on July 18, 2012.

GIST: "Texas, to its credit, in some ways pioneered the concept that old cases need to be comprehensively reviewed when forensic errors are found. The watershed moment perhaps was Dallas DA Craig Watkins partnering with my employers at the Innocence Project of Texas (IPOT) to review old DNA cases and recommend which ones deserved testing, a process that led to numerous high-profile exonerations and landed Watkins a feature on 60 Minutes and other national acclaim. Similarly, the Forensic Science Commission and State Fire Marshall have partnered with IPOT to review arson cases of people currently incarcerated in TDCJ for errors that may have led to false convictions. And after incompetent drug analysts were discovered in El Paso and at a DPS lab in Houston, the agencies systematically notified defense counsel. After the incident in Houston, the DA's Association recommended that "For any case with a bad retest, or cases with now-destroyed evidence, [prosecutors should] request that the court appoint an attorney to take the case through a writ process if appropriate."
Still, though, that's happening only on an ad hoc basis. Fort Bend Sheriff's Deputy Keith Pikett for years used highly suspect techniques in "scent lineups" which Texas courts have now disavowed. Even so, Pikett claimed to have performed scent lineups with his dogs in more than 2,000 cases and testified in court many times, but there's been no official review - by the Fort Bend Sheriff, the Texas Attorney General, the Forensic Science Commission (outside their jurisdiction), or anyone else. In this case, analysts from Texas crime labs including at DPS testified for years about hair and fiber evidence in similarly overstated ways as the FBI, recently reining in the language they use in court and relying more where possible on much more accurate DNA evidence. Pretty much everybody agrees such overstated analyses were both problematic and used for a long time. But there's no state-level review of hair-and-fiber testimony in past cases comparable to what's happening at the FBI, neither here in Texas nor to my knowledge in other states, even though it's obvious the same issues extend far beyond FBI analysts."

The entire story can be found at:

http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.ca/2012/07/texas-should-conduct-review-of-hair-and.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Friday, July 20, 2012

PC Simon Harwood: Aftermath of verdict: (2): Guardian editorial points finger for failed case at role played by discredited pathologist Patel.

EDITORIAL: "Ian Tomlinson case: tried - and failed; Having been clouded from the beginning, the Tomlinson case ends up in a legal lacuna with scant chance of escape," published by the Guardian on July 20, 2012;

GIST: "The most formidable obstacle, however, was the competing evidence of the pathologist, Freddy Patel, whose initial investigation blamed heart disease for Mr Tomlinson's demise, and the two scientists who later fingered post-traumatic blood loss. Black marks against Dr Patel later emerged, and the inquest established he was wrong. But the director of public prosecutions initially shrank from taking the case on the basis that, with disagreeing experts, reasonable doubt was bound to linger in lay minds."

The entire editorial can be found at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/19/ian-tomlinson-case-tried-and-failed

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;

DOJ/FBI massive probe of cases for faulty forensics: Texas Criminal lawyer Paul Kennedy; root of problem: How the so-called "crime labs" operate;


STORY: "FBI to review thousands of cases for faulty forensics," Paul Kennedy, a criminal defence lawyer in Houston, Texas, published on his blog "For The Defence," on July 16, 2012.

GIST: "The root of the problem is the way so-called crime labs operate. These "labs" are arms of state or local law enforcement agencies - so the people testing the evidence are employees of the same entity that arrested the suspect in the first place. The set-up creates a glaring conflict of interest that most criminal judges are loathe to do anything about. The analysis is passed off as valid science even though the analyst is employed by law enforcement. The employees of the crime lab see themselves as part of the same team as the police. And this creates a massive problem. Over in the civil courthouse, such an arrangement would raise more than a few eyebrows. The civil courts are accustomed to arguments regarding the validity of a particular test or conclusion. Courts routinely conduct hearings to determine whether or not a particular expert witness will be allowed to testify. Conclusions, assumptions and observations are scrutinized by both attorneys and judges. But over in the criminal courthouse, where lives, not dollars, are at stake, judges will rarely prevent an analyst from testifying for the state - even though all of his training was provided through the police department and is based on what another officer taught him. Judges in the criminal courts think nothing of allowing an officer to testify as to the validity of the horizontal gaze nystagmus test despite the fact the officer has no knowledge of how the eye works or why alcohol supposedly causes nystagmus. Analysts with little or no scientific training are allowed to testify as to the results of forensic tests when they can't even explain why a certain procedure is followed..........Control of crime labs must be taken out of the hands of law enforcement. The labs must be accessible to both the defense and the state. Judges need to take another look at Daubert and Frye and, in Texas, Kelly and Mata to remind themselves what their role as gatekeeper means. Defense attorneys need to learn more about the science behind the testing and need to learn to question the analysts' basic assumptions."

The entire post can be found at:

http://kennedy-law.blogspot.ca/2012/07/fbi-to-review-thousands-of-cases-for.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

P.C. Simon Harwood; Aftermath of verdict. (1) Guardian reporter Paul Lewis asks what influence discredited pathologist Freddy Patel had on the jury.

STORY: "Ian Tomlinson's family faced with two contradctory verdicts," by reporter Paul Lewis, published in the Guardian on July 19, 2012.

GIST: "While the video may have answered some questions about Tomlinson's treatment, the contested medical evidence created more uncertainty. With the investigation still in the hands of City of London police, the controversial pathologist Dr Freddy Patel was asked by the coroner to conduct the first postmortem examination. City of London police were present at the autopsy – the IPCC was barred. Patel concluded that Tomlinson, an alcoholic with serious liver damage, had died of a heart attack. It would turn out to be a hugely controversial finding. Patel's judgment had been called into serious question before that autopsy on Tomlinson's body, and has been since. He is no longer registered on the Home Office list of forensic pathologists, and has been suspended twice by the General Medical Council after being found guilty of conducting botched postmortems and falsifying his CV. In one case, Patel is suspected of having conducted an autopsy on the wrong body. It is impossible to know what swayed the jury in their deliberations, but Patel's testimony must have been central to their considerations. His findings in relation to Tomlinson were contradicted by three other forensic pathologists, all of whom agreed that the cause of death was internal bleeding in the abdomen. But Patel – who conducted the first and most important autopsy and discarded the bloody fluid found in Tomlinson's abdomen – was the key witness. It is impossible to know what swayed the jury in their deliberations, but his evidence must have had a bearing on their considerations.The small community of forensic pathologists privately expressed surprise when it first emerged that such a high-profile autopsy had been entrusted to Patel."The entire story can be found at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/19/ian-tomlinson-two-contradictory-verdicts?newsfeed=true

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Bulletin: Ivan Henk; Nebraska; Pled guilty to killing his son. Hearing granted because ex-CSI Chief planted blood evidence in another murder case;


STORY: "Ivan Henk granted hearing," published on WOWT Channel 6, on July 19, 2012.

GIST: "A Nebraska father who admitted to killing his son and even told investigators where they would find evidence, has been granted a new hearing. Ivan Henk is challenging the evidence that was found. His 4-year-old son Brendan Gonzalez disappeared from his Plattsmouth home on January 6, 2003. His body has never been found. In April 2003, Henk appeared in court on an unrelated matter. He suddenly disrupted the courtroom and admitted to killing his son. Henk then told investigators that he left Brendan’s body in a dumpster in Bellevue. That is where investigator David Kofoed found blood evidence. Henk eventually cut a deal and pleaded guilty in February 2005, eliminating the possibility of the death penalty. However, after the Gonzalez case unfolded, Kofoed was found to have planted blood evidence in another murder case. That was the basis for Henk’s demand for a new evidentiary hearing."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/Ivan_Henk_Granted_Hearing_163050476.html?ref=476

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Bulletin: Leighton Hay; Supreme Court allows appeal in 2002 Toronto murder. Case involves forensic hair testing issue. Toronto Star.


STORY: "Supreme Court allows appeal of conviction in 2002 Toronto murder," by reporter Peter Edwards, published in the Toronto Star on July 18, 2012.

GIST: "A Toronto man convicted in the 2002 execution-style murder of a beloved member of the local Guyanese community has won the right to appeal from Canada’s top court. The decision to grant an appeal to Leighton Hay in one of the city’s most notorious cases of the past decade was announced on Thursday morning by the Supreme Court of Canada.........In their successful arguments for an appeal, Hay’s lawyers said that recent forensic testing on hairs found in his apartment prove he’s innocent of the July 2002 execution-style murder of Colin Moore, 51. The Crown had argued that Hay shaved his head shortly after the murder to thwart identification. Police discovered hair clippings, wrapped in a newspaper, in his house. Hay’s defense team spearheaded recent forensic testing on the hairs. The testing suggested there is a roughly 90 per cent certainty the clippings were facial hairs and not from his head, which would undermine the theory that he shaved his head after the shooting to fool police. Neither the prosecution nor defense sought to have the hairs tested at the original trial. Hay, who was 19 at the time of the murder, is serving a life term and has been in prison for the past decade. “The fresh evidence has changed the case for and against the applicant dramatically,” Hay’s defense team of James Lockyer, Philip Campbell and Joanne McLean argued. “If the haircut occurred, the applicant is likely guilty. If it did not, he is surely innocent. A verdict which did not consider the fresh evidence is unreliable and should not be upheld.”

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1228827--supreme-court-allows-appeal-of-conviction-in-2002-toronto-murder

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog

Bulletin: P.C. Simon Harwood: Cleared of manslaughter in death of Ian Tomlinson. Case involved discredited pathologist Dr. Freddy Patel. The Guardian.


STORY: "Ian Tomlinson death: Simon Harwood cleared of manslaughter," by Peter Walker and Paul Lewis, published in the Guardian on July 19, 2012.

GIST: "A policeman has been acquitted of killing Ian Tomlinson during G20 protests in London by striking the 47-year-old bystander with a baton and pushing him to the ground as he walked away from police lines. The jury at Southwark crown court on Thursday cleared PC Simon Harwood, 45, a member of the Metropolitan police's elite public order unit, the Territorial Support Group, of manslaughter following one of the most high-profile cases of alleged police misconduct in recent years. Harwood told the court that while in retrospect he "got it wrong" in seeing Tomlinson as a potentially threatening obstruction as police cleared a pedestrian passageway in the City on the evening of 1 April 2009, his actions were justifiable within the context of the widespread disorder of that day......Tomlinson had been an alcoholic for some years and was living in a homeless hostel. It was initially presumed he died from natural causes, a conclusion supported by an initial postmortem examination, which gave the cause as heart failure. But six days later the Guardian published video footage, shot by an American in London on business, which showed a policeman in riot gear striking Tomlinson on the leg with a baton before shoving him violently to the pavement, minutes before his final collapse. Three pathologists involved in two further postmortem examinations said Tomlinson instead died from internal bleeding associated with his liver and consistent with being pushed to the ground. While the officer was soon identified as Harwood, prosecutors initially decided against charging him, changing their mind only after the inquest verdict.........The issue of cause of death saw the testimony of the first pathologist, Dr Freddy Patel, who reasserted his belief that Tomlinson died from heart failure, placed against that of Dr Nat Cary, who told the court that even a relatively small amount of internal bleeding would have caused death. The jury was not told that Patel has twice been suspended by medical authorities for mistakes in other postmortem examinations and is no longer on the Home Office's register of approved pathologists. No police officer has been convicted for manslaughter for a crime committed while on duty since 1986."

The entire story ca be found at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/19/simon-harwood-not-guilty-ian-tomlinson

See Telegraph story: "Ian Tomlinson pathologist botched first post-mortem: The pathologist who examined Ian Tomlinson botched the first post-mortem and was later suspended for earlier mistakes in is career," by Chief Reporter Gordon Raynor.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9412476/Ian-Tomlinson-pathologist-botched-first-post-mortem.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

Michael Morton: DNA exonerations. "Grits for Breakfast" provides links to excellent Texas Tribune series on prosecutorial misconduct;



STORY: "Texas Tribune seeking solutions for prosecutorial error," published by "Grits for Breakfast" on July 11, 2012.

GIST: "The Texas Tribune has completed its series on wrongful convictions, their causes, and available remedies, with a special focus on issues surrounding prosecutorial error and misconduct: Here's their roundup of links to their various stories - "Seeking Solutions" is a 12 minute video summarizing the key issues, focusing mainly on Michael Morton's exoneration:

The entire post can be found at:

http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.ca/2012/07/texas-tribune-seeking-solutions-for.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

I am monitoring this case. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.