Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Kevin Keith; Former state crime lab worker Michelle Yezzo: Ohio; White Elephant Case? Ex-death row inmate wants new trial amid new doubts about Yezzo's reliability..."This new information is what prompted Keith's attorneys to seek a new trial. They said it suggests Yezzo was "mentally unstable" and prone to making conclusions to please her supervisors. Yezzo testified against Keith, connecting him to the killings of three people in Bucyrus through snow prints of a license plate and tire treads. But Keith's attorneys say a retired FBI agent expert in forensics reviewed the evidence and cast doubts about Yezzo's conclusions, Cleveland.com reported recently. Lee Fisher, who was Ohio attorney general at the time of Keith's trial, looked at the new evidence and said he would not have allowed Yezzo to testify, according to the motion for a new trial."



Image result for "white elephant"

In the years since I started publishing this Blog I have become increasingly disturbed by the 'white elephant' in the room: Sheer, unadulterated, willful   misconduct in the criminal justice system - much  of it involving forensic evidence - committed by lab technicians,  pathologists, police officers, prosecutors and others.  Think Annie Dookhan; Think Sonia Farak; Think David Kofoed; Think Charles Smith; Think Ken Anderson; Think Gene Morrison.  I have therefore decided to run this image of a white elephant at the top of every applicable post henceforth, to draw our reader's attention to   what I see as a major problem in all too many criminal justice system's - my own included.  Harold Levy; Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
"Reformers have for years recommended that all forensic labs be independent from law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies' and this is a key reform promoted by The Justice Project (2008). But fixing these problems is only half the answer' because half of the wrongful convictions attributed to misleading forensic evidence involved deliberate forensic fraud' evidence tampering' and/or perjury.
From "The Elephant in the Crime Lab," by co-authored by Sheila Berry and Larry Ytuarte; Forensic Examiner; Spring, 2009; http://www.t-mlaw.com/blog/post/the-elephant-in-the-crime-lab/

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STORY: "Ex-death row inmate in Ohio wants new trial amid new doubts," by The Associated Press, published by The Bristol Herald Courier on January 2, 2016.

GIST: "A one-time death row inmate in Ohio whose sentence was commuted to life in prison has asked a judge for a new trial based on concerns that have surfaced about a former state crime lab worker. Attorneys for Kevin Keith are questioning whether the state forensic expert provided unreliable testimony against him at his 1994 trial. Michele Yezzo, who worked for Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Investigation, has denied manipulating evidence during her career, but the state public defender and others are reviewing cases involving the longtime forensic scientist whose credibility has been questioned. The review came about after a judge tossed out a conviction in another case and determined prosecutors withheld evidence. Specifically, there were concerns about Yezzo's work on the case. Yezzo worked for the state crime lab for three decades before resigning in 2009 after an internal investigation found issues with her work. Former colleagues have accused her of bias, and her personnel files show concerns about her credibility and past behavior problems, such as outbursts and threats against co-workers, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Attorney General Mike DeWine said his office has reviewed some of Yezzo's evidence-analysis work and found it credible. But he also said that if Yezzo's background had been brought up in court while she worked for the bureau, cases might have been affected. This new information is what prompted Keith's attorneys to seek a new trial. They said it suggests Yezzo was "mentally unstable" and prone to making conclusions to please her supervisors. Yezzo testified against Keith, connecting him to the killings of three people in Bucyrus through snow prints of a license plate and tire treads. But Keith's attorneys say a retired FBI agent expert in forensics reviewed the evidence and cast doubts about Yezzo's conclusions, Cleveland.com reported recently. Lee Fisher, who was Ohio attorney general at the time of Keith's trial, looked at the new evidence and said he would not have allowed Yezzo to testify, according to the motion for a new trial."

The entire  story can be found at:

http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/ex-death-row-inmate-in-ohio-wants-new-trial-amid/article_26ef47ea-2913-59f7-b0f6-eba0f885960e.html

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;