Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Rodricus Crawford; Louisiana; Extraordinary development; His murder-conviction and death sentence in connection with the death of his 1-year-old son Roderius have been vacated. Arrangements are being made for release of the 28-year-old from prison, while Caddo Parish District Atttorney James Stewart determines whether to proceed with a new trial; (Hopefully Crawford will be a free man following a hearing early next week) HL); This Blog's coverage begins with the KSLA Louisiana Channel 12 story on the decision; (Link to the 35 page decision provided within the story);

SEE LOUISIANA SUPREME COURT PRESS RELEASE AND THE COMPLETE 35-PAGE DECISION AT THE LINK BELOW:

 http://www.lasc.org/news_releases/2016/2016-068.asp

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STORY: "Shreveport man on death row for murder of 1-year-old son gets new trial, reported by KSLA staff,  published by KSLA on November 16, 2016.

SUB-HEADING: Rodricus Crawford was 25 when he was convicted in 2012 of first-degree murder in the death of his 1-year-old don."

GIST: "Crawford's 1-year-old son Roderius Lott was found unresponsive in a home in the 6800 block of Broadway in February 2012. The child was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.The Caddo coroner said an autopsy revealed that the child was smothered. The coroner also said the child had several bruises and signs of abuse. Prosecutors said Crawford smothered the child, his defense attorneys say the child was very sick, had pneumonia and died of sepsis. Rodricus Crawford was convicted and sentenced to death in November 2013, but now the Louisiana Supreme Court issued an opinion Tuesday overturning the conviction. The court was unanimous in coming to the conclusion that there was an error in this case. However, the justices have varying opinions on what the error was and how to correct it. Crawford’s attorney Cecelia Kappel told KSLA News 12 she is very thankful that the Louisiana Supreme Court did the right thing in this case and that she looks forward to working with the District Attorney’s office to seek justice. The Caddo District Attorney's office released a statement Wednesday afternoon in response to the ruling: In light of this opinion of the Louisiana Supreme Court, including the dissenting opinions of justices of the Louisiana Supreme Court to acquit the defendant of the charge, the Caddo Parish District Attorney will reassign the case to a new assistant district attorney for re-evaluation of case in order to make a determination of a proper course of action to proceed forward in this matter.  Since the matter is now a pending matter before the court, this office will not make any further comment at this time. The 35-page decision by Associate Justice John L. Weimer, along with opinions by fellow associate justices that concur in part and dissent in part or in toto, can be read online at the Louisiana Supreme Court website. Tune in to KSLA News 12 at 5 to hear from the Crawford's mother with her reaction to the news or watch streaming live here."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.ksla.com/story/33728382/shreveport-man-on-death-row-for-murder-of-1-year-old-son-gets-new-trial

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/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.