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Tag Archives: Miscarriage of justice
Forensics: Why criminal courts allow use of experts where civil courts would exclude
Two experienced legal commentators take a comparative look at expert witness presenting science in both civil and criminal proceedings. No surprise they pick on the bitemarkers. See the weak criminal courts exercise of pre-trial ‘scientific review’ when the judges are … Continue reading
Despite false convictions – Alford appeals used to preserve DA conviction stats
Would you choose: 1) immediate freedom as a murderer, or 2) call the DA’s bluff, refuse the deal, and pray for DNA? In this one, the DNA was already on the table when the DA threatened a retrial. San Bernardino, … Continue reading
Speaking of Error in Forensic Science – adversarial system quashes honesty
Very short but profound talk about the differences between real science and ‘police-forensic science.” From a NIST meeting on Forensic Error. Lynn Garcia from the Texas Forensic Commission sums up the organic differences: “That culture of fighting and not giving … Continue reading
Chump change: Michigan Legislation allows $50K compensation bill for exonerees
Lets see what the District Attorney’s Association (@NDAAJustice) lobby in Michigan does to obstruct this process. It’s leadership is patently deaf to wrongful convictions by touting their accuracy rate primarily based on pleas deal before trial. Read about some of … Continue reading
A very glib media look at TV forensics
Another ho-hum look at media shows using forensic science as characters using their mythology of “how it’s done.” I’ve never seen an equal amount of attention paid to what it takes to exonerate people from flawed convictions by prosecutors, exaggerated … Continue reading
#Forensics – Pathologist Michael Baden takes on Steven Hayne in Mississippi
The horrific career of the notorious ex Mississippi prosecutors’ go-to non forensic pathologist will never end. This hearing recently occurred in MS and has death row inmate Jeff Havard (pictured above) hearing of numerous examples of prosecutorial misconduct, lazy justice, … Continue reading
Fingerprints convict and then unconvict Michigan man after 20 years in prison
Another case refuting idiots saying exoneration litigation is an “industry.” Criminal defense funding in the US is merely a fraction of what prosecutors and police get from asset forfeiture, local budgets, and federal grants. Take a look at who represented … Continue reading
#IAFS NH judge goes postal on law enforcement dragging on review of 18,000 tainted cases
Judge, lawyers: State dragging feet on Amherst drug lab scandal This is not the first massive review of forensic that has fallen into prosecutorial limbo. The FBI crime labs self-discredited Bullet Lead and Hair Matching debacle are still “hanging fire” … Continue reading
Ballistic DA in bitemark case goes after Innocence Project attorneys and a blog
A prosecutor has his shorts in a bind over press coverage and an op-ed about his bitemark case. My guess is, by inference, the discussion of the continued prosecutorial use of junk forensics should be hidden from public view. The IP has … Continue reading
Actions of bitemark experts before testimony brings consequences after exoneration
From a recent Tech Dirt op-ed. “We’ve discussed the junk science masquerading as forensic science in criminal cases. Coming in slightly ahead of chatting with psychics is “bite mark analysis.” According to these so-called experts, each bite mark is just as unique as … Continue reading
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