SpaghettiO caper, Battles over Forensics, Public Policy efforts and wrongful convictions

Posted on October 1, 2014 by csidds

In California, another bill involving a valiant attempt to prevent the strong correlation of prosecutorial misconduct (in over 800 cases, only less than a 2  handfusl have led to Bar sanctions against state prosecutors) and wrongful convictions was vetoed this week by Gov Brown. He has said that pros misc was unacceptable, but got cold feet when law enforcement agencies did their lobbying. Some DAs supporte the bill. He pawned his negative decision with oft-used legalistic phrase from the judicial toolbox. “Overbroad”

Gov Brown vetoes bills on better prosecution misconduct control. The gov wants to protect the DAs from tougher rules.

Another Op-Ed on this subject:

 · 

CA: Jerry Brown Fails his Test

and 

CA Assemblyman ‘angry’ as Brown vetoes prosecutor misconduct bill | SF Politics

and

Radley Balko, on his WashPost blog, THE WATCH, sums up all of this.

The Houston Crime lab seems to have a dual personality problem:

Apr 2014  More trouble for problem plagued Houston crime lab? – FOX 26 News | MyFoxHouston

then this just shows up. 

Sept 30 2014 Houston Forensic Science Center awarded $1.26 million grant. Everyone’s happy. via

Other topics.

Brilliantly coordinated teamwork between police and the CSIs. Delayed crime lab testing = identification of dried spaghetti-os on spoon. Woman spent 47 days in jail claiming innocence  and this.

No accountability This includes stonewallers’ denials of culpability in # aided wrongful convictions.

A man wrongfully convicted and imprisoned attempting a civil suit for $$ reparations in Illinois gets the shaft from a trio of appellate judges. “In civil suit against cops + DA, 7th Circuit badgers Plantiff’s atty, did not ask def attorney a single difficult question.”  via

Can a dog be a forensic expert witness? Arson trial testimony on accelerant-sniffing dog. Rover got it “right” one out of three times at fire scenes.

A DA’s affair and Brady = dismissal of murder charges in 1989 cold case killing

 

 

 

About csidds

Dr. Michael Bowers is a long time forensic consultant in the US and international court systems.
This entry was posted in criminal justice, CSI, exoneration, prosecutorial misconduct and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

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