PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Jeffrey Havard.has been on Mississippi's death row for 15 years. At the heart of the case, according to Circuit Court Judge Forrest "Al" Johnson, is the now widely discredited so-called shaken-baby syndrome. (Note also the presence in the case of controversial former medical examiner Steven Hayne who has repudiated his initial opinion); Think of it, a man's life may be taken by the state of Mississippi because of a highly disputed theory on which experts are widely divided, which has been repudiated by the late British Dr. Norman Guthkelch, the pediatric neurosurgeon, who propagated it in the first place. The good news is that Judge Johnson clearly recognizes the importance of this decision - not just to Jeffrey Havard, whose life is in the balance. As Johnson is quoted: ""I don't anticipate sitting in this too long before I render a decision," Johnson said. "It's a pretty important case. It's a pretty big deal." I will continue to monitor developments in this case closely.
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "This time around, Hayne said pinning Britt's death solely on shaken baby syndrome would be a mistake due to the observance of the baby's head injuries. Wayne State University professor Chris Van Ee also took the stand and claimed that data produced over the last 15 years indicates that medical experts should not normally expect violent shaking to cause head injury to a 6-month to 1-year-old baby. University of Mississippi Medical Center child abuse pediatrician Dr. Scott Benton however, said the blow Britt suffered to the head would not, by itself, be able to have caused her death. Benton further stated that he believed violent shaking contributed to the fatality. Johnson has called his upcoming decision one of the most important in his more that two decades on the bench.
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STORY: Judge: Decision on Havard case approaches," by reporter David Hamilton, published by The Natchez Democrat on Friday February 25, 208
GIST: "The judge who will decide the fate of a man on death row said Wednesday a decision should come in the next months. The case of Jeffrey Havard, convicted in the death of his girlfriend's 6-month-old daughter, currently awaits a decision from Circuit Court Judge Forrest "Al" Johnson on whether Havard deserves a new trial. Johnson said a delay in filing the court transcript caused the process to linger, but attorneys are now required to submit briefings in approximately the next 30 days, after which point Johnson can issue a ruling. The judge said he would have a ruling "clearly" by summer., though he said in less specific terms that he would not let the decision hang in the balance for long. "I don't anticipate sitting in this too long before I render a decision," Johnson said. "It's a pretty important case. It's a pretty big deal." In August 2017, a three-day hearing was held in Adam's County due to revised beliefs in the medical field about shaken baby syndrome, which medical examiners in 2002 determined as the cause of death of 6-month old Chloe Britt. From the outset, Havard has maintained his innocence and claimed the death resulted from him accidentally dropping the the baby while removing her from the bathtub, with Britt subsequently hitting her head on the toilet. Various medical professionals testified in August how contemporary beliefs about shaken baby syndrome could bring the initial 2002 conviction into question. One such testimony from Dr. Steven Hayne, a former medical examiner who conducted the 2002 autopsy and whose testimony lent towards Havard's conviction. This time around, Hayne said pinning Britt's death solely on shaken baby syndrome would be a mistake due to the observance of the baby's head injuries. Wayne State University professor Chris Van Ee also took the stand and claimed that data produced over the last 15 years indicates that medical experts should not normally expect violent shaking to cause head injury to a 6-month to 1-year-old baby. University of Mississippi Medical Center child abuse pediatrician Dr. Scott Benton however, said the blow Britt suffered to the head would not, by itself, be able to have caused her death. Benton further stated that he believed violent shaking contributed to the fatality. Johnson has called his upcoming decision one of the most important in his more that two decades on the bench. Havard has been on death row since his 2002 conviction."
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. 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/c
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2018/02/23/judge-decision-on-havard-case-approaches/
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. 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/c
