EDITORIAL: "DNA tests in Skinner case," published by the Dallas News on June 4, 2012."
GIST: "Enter Judge Michael Keasler, of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, who reduced the matter to common sense. “You really ought to be absolutely sure before you strap a person down and kill him,” Keasler told lawyers for the state. Point made. The AG’s office announced a new position in the Skinner case Friday with words familiar to any of us who have found ourselves defending the indefensible. “Upon further consideration …,” the state’s lawyers wrote in a new brief, which went on to drop the state’s opposition to new DNA tests. The AG’s lawyers might have used language as plain as Keasler’s. Maybe something like this: “Sorry, judge. What were we thinking? We get it. We get it that executing someone would be madness if we didn’t erase as much doubt as possible with DNA tests. We didn’t want to kowtow to a guy we think is trying to manipulate the system, but we’ll suck it up. We know the public is looking over our shoulder on these things, because of all those DNA exonerations, and to deny that possibility here — however slight — would be a public relations nightmare. So let’s go and schedule those tests.”"
The editorial can be found at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
I am monitoring this case. 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.
