Monthly Archives: May 2016

Forensic look at death penalty statistics: 25% of exonerated were on Death Row

A 2013 infographic study by the California Innocence Project puts the cost in California at a staggering $4 billion since 1978. Statistics contained in this report, when overlayed with the national increase of exonerations ( now at 1793) , in the … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, costs of wrongful convictions, criminal justice, criminal justice reform | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

California Supreme Court determines advances of forensic science sufficient to vacate conviction

Its all about 2 bitemark opinions from a murder trial. In an unanimous 7-0 decision, the court’s holdings vacates Bill Richards murder conviction from 1997 and makes his imprisonment since 1993 subject to release from prison and opens up future exoneration … Continue reading

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Washington DC crime lab continues to coverup its law enforcement bungles

Originally posted on FORENSICS and LAW in FOCUS @ CSIDDS | News and Trends:
? Backstory before the story about guns walking away from the DC crime lab. After a sweetheart period with its “independence” from LEO management via its multi-million dollar…

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Washington DC crime lab continues to coverup its law enforcement bungles

    Backstory before the story about guns walking away from the DC crime lab. After a sweetheart period with its “independence” from LEO management via its multi-million dollar facility up grade and hiring forensic scientist Max Houck to run … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, US Crime labs | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Looking at law enforcement’s “excited delirium syndrome” deaths from a medical perspective.

\ Here is another forensic conundrum. The AMA doesn’t recognize it, neither does the World Health Organization, nor a host of other “learned” medical groups. Taser Inc does. So do police unions representing LEOs in wrongful death litigation. Welcome to … Continue reading

Posted in police custody deaths | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Judiciary’s public shaming of trial prosecutors as a means to achieve justice?

This is a 48 page legal paper, but the author puts into the clear about what’s going on between federal appeals courts and the prosecutors who end up on their hit list. With no empowerment to reverse convicts, the fed … Continue reading

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The Mississippi Sting operation that uncovered Michael West’s bitemark bunk

One of the extraordinary defense presentations at the recent EL Howard hearing in Columbus MS was given by the Honorable Chris Plourd (pictured above), the presiding Judge of Imperial County, CA Superior Court. Judge Plourd rose to the bench in … Continue reading

Posted in AAFS, ABFO, Bitemarks, costs of wrongful convictions, Crime lab scandal, Dr. Michael West, exoneration, Ray Krone bitemark case, wrongful convictions | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Advances of science affects some convictions – so far bitemarks aren’t included

The resounding inconsistencies in how US courts “handle” forensic expertise is brain-numbing. The Mississippi Supreme Court and the state attorney General Jim Hood’s go to chief appellate guy, Jason Davis (pictured above), are still investing in the now bitemark rejecting … Continue reading

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DNA “falsifiability” gets some airtime, CRIME LAB chaos in MA, “vigorous debate’ in SBS

The latest in scientific quandaries within forensics from the NY Legal Aid Society Newsletter. Fool’s Gold: Legal Aid Society DNA Unit featured in Atlantic Magazine article about the increasing use of unreliable DNA “science” in the criminal justice system DNA … Continue reading

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Forensics: Focus on bitemark beliefs and “The Syndrome”

While spending nearly a full May 5th springtime time day listening to the “Country Dentist” Dr Michael West lavish a Mississippi courtroom with his god-like powers of forensic observation aided by a blue light flashlight, I began to reflect on … Continue reading

Posted in Bite Marks, Bitemarks, criminal justice reform, CSI, death penalty, Dr. Michael West, exoneration, forensic testimony | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment