Friday, November 30, 2012

Jeffrey Havard: Radley Balko: Despite Evidence From Discredited Medical Examiner, Mississippi's Jeffrey Havard Nears Execution; Huff Post. By Radley Balko; Must Read.

The entire commentary can be found at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/radley-balko/steven-hayne-jeffrey-havard_b_2213976.html

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Pamela Jacobazzi: (Part Three); Shaken-Baby Syndrome; US's resistance to reform. The risk of seeking justice. Plain Error. Innocence Project of Florida.


STORY:   "Shaken-Baby Syndrome: US's resistance to reform. Slower to reform as usual,"  published in "Plain Error," the official blog of the Innocence Project of Florida, on November 27, 2012.

GIST: "Illinois woman Pamela Jacobazzi is a former Bartlett day care provider who in 1999 was convicted of shaking 2-year-old Matthew Czapski. The Downstate Illinois Innocence Project  has asked the State to grant her clemency. She was convicted because she was Matthew’s caretaker when the child’s triad of head injuries appeared. However, Matthew’s full medical details were never brought into the trial. Matthew had preexisting conditions of persistent fevers and characteristics of sickle-cell anemia which could have explained the presence of the triad of symptoms. Some doctors say the triad can arise from sickle-cell anemia. The prosecutors in this case say they will contradict Jacobazzi’s defense with their own expert witnesses. But this pursuit of justice comes with a risk. If Jacobazzi is found guilty in a retrial, she could be sentenced again and stay in prison even longer. Such a factor deters those found guilty to pursue their own justice. They may find it more worthwhile to just wait out their current sentences."

The  entire story can be found at:

http://floridainnocence.org/content/?tag=pamela-jacobazzi

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Annie Dookhan: Part Two. Crisis in the Crime Lab: The District of Columbia's experiment in forensic science. By Maggie Clark. Stateline.


STORY:  "D.C. Crime lab: An experiment in forensic science; Second of two parts. By reporter Maggie Clark. Published in "Stateline" the Journal of the Pew Center on the States."  The Center says it provides, "nonpartisan reporting and research, advocacy, and technical assistance to help states deliver better results and achieve long-term fiscal health by investing in programs that provide the strongest returns."

GIST: "Traditionally, states and other jurisdictions have kept crime labs tied to the police or the prosecutor’s office both for logistical and budgetary reasons. It’s easier for police officers to drop off evidence if the crime lab is in the same building as the police department, says Jessica Gabel, assistant professor of law at Georgia State University. And it’s easier for states to allocate funding to law enforcement agencies and then have them disperse money to the crime labs.
But that closeness costs labs in other ways. “Crime labs don’t get evidence in a vacuum,” says Gabel. “They hear that someone’s killed a child, and the pressure’s on (to identify the killer).” The closeness between crime labs and police can also open labs up to harsh criticism, says Mendelson. “If the crime lab is within the police department, defense attorneys could say to an analyst, ‘well, you work for law enforcement, you’re just proving the police officer’s case.’ It’s better for the justice system when forensic analysis is done by a separate agency.” A few states, including Virginia and Rhode Island, do operate their crime labs separately from law enforcement. But those states have always been seen as exceptions to standard practice. Now, Houck believes, D.C.’s civilian-led crime lab can point the way to similar changes in crime labs across the country. “We need a national strategy on forensic science,” he says. “Our strategy can’t simply be more money and neither can it be, ‘let’s hope we don’t screw up.’ Here, we are running the agency as a science-based organization and as a peer with other agencies like the medical examiner or law enforcement with the focus really being on the science.”

The entire story can be found at:
http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/dc-crime-lab-an-experiment-in-forensic-science-second-of-two-parts-85899432291

Part One:

 http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=120008354894645705#editor/target=post;postID=620873148528238472

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.






Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Bulletin: Annie Dookhan. Governor orders "file-by-file" review of every case she handled. About 10,000 drug cases identified as potentially affected. AP.


STORY: (Boston);  "Gov. Patrick orders chemist's cases reviewed," by reporter Denise Lavoie, published by Associated Press on November 27, 2012.

GIST: Gov. Deval Patrick has ordered a “file-by-file review” of  every case handled by a Massachusetts chemist accused of faking test results at a now-closed government lab, as authorities continue to deal with the fallout from a scandal that threatens to unravel thousands of criminal cases. The chemist, Annie Dookhan, is accused of skirting protocols and manipulating drug samples at a former Department of Public Health drug lab where she worked for nine years. She has pleaded not guilty to charges in the case, but prosecutors said in a court motion Tuesday they expect she will be indicted. The scandal has already led to hundreds of legal challenges to criminal convictions in cases in which Dookhan tested drug samples. David Meier, a former state prosecutor appointed by the governor to identify cases Dookhan worked on, said Tuesday that Patrick has authorized a massive review of Dookhan’s cases, estimated to number about 34,000. “In order to do that, the governor has decided to devote whatever resources are necessary to do a file-by-file review of each of her cases,” Meier said. Speaking to reporters, Meier said his team has identified about 10,000 people whose drug cases were potentially affected by Dookhan’s alleged misconduct."

The entire story can be found at:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/11/27/gov-patrick-orders-chemists-cases-reviewed/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Annie Dookhan: Part One. Crisis in the crime lab. Forensic science seen as falling short of public image: Maggie Clark. "Stateline."


STORY: "Forensic Science falls short of public image: Crisis in the crime lab: Part One," by Maggie Clark, published in "Stateline". "Stateline" is published by the Pew Center on the States. The Center says it provides, "nonpartisan reporting and research, advocacy, and technical assistance to help states deliver better results and achieve long-term fiscal health by investing in programs that provide the strongest returns."

GIST: "Faulty forensics?  Massachusetts is not the only state to experience a recent problem in its crime lab. Earlier this year, the drug lab in St. Paul, Minnesota, was shut down after problems developed with possible evidence contamination. The state lab had to take over the case work. Michigan’s state crime lab faces the same problem. Since the Detroit crime lab closed in 2008, the Michigan State Police lab has been handling all the forensic evidence collected at Detroit crime scenes, as well as trying to work through 11,000 untested rape kits that were discovered in the Detroit lab before it closed. The ramifications extend far beyond the labs themselves. Before evidence is admitted into a trial record, a judge must determine whether the evidence is scientifically valid and evaluate its relevance to the case. In 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that judges are in fact the gatekeepers against “junk science” in the courtroom and identified them as the final arbiter of what constitutes valid scientific evidence. This is a problem, says Judge Donald Shelton, a trial court judge in Michigan’s Washtenaw County and author of several books on forensic evidence. Many, if not most judges, lack the skill to evaluate forensic evidence properly. “Many judges don’t have (flawed forensics) on their radar yet, and our judicial education is spotty from state to state,” says Shelton. “We, as judges, owe it to ourselves to become much better informed about the current state of forensic science.”
In fact, the whole field of forensic science is currently in flux, following a top-to-bottom review in 2009 by the National Academy of Sciences. The report cast major doubt on many common forensic techniques, calling them unscientific and error-prone."

http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/forensic-science-falls-short-of-public-image-85899431908

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.



Monday, November 26, 2012

John Salmon: Canada's top court re-opens manslaughter conviction after 41-years following fresh look by three pathologists. Toronto Star.


STORY: "Supreme Court orders 41-year-old manslaughter conviction reopened," by reporter Peter Small, published in the Toronto Star, on October 26, 2012.

PHOTO CAPTION:  John Frederick Salmon could be the next Canadian found to have been wrongly convicted. The Supreme Court has agreed to reopen the case after three pathologists concluded the original pathologist's finding was incorrect.

GIST: "The Supreme Court of Canada has ordered the Ontario Court of Appeal to re-examine the case of a man convicted 41 years ago of killing his common-law partner. Three pathologists have taken a fresh look at the manslaughter conviction of John (Jack) Salmon, concluding Maxine Ditchfield, 28, did not die from a blow to the head during brutal beatings, as the jury heard, but by a stroke. The three pathologists say it’s likely the stroke was caused by a series of falls at her Woodstock home and in the kitchen of a nearby farmhouse after a night of heavy drinking. Toronto lawyer James Lockyer applied to the Supreme Court to direct the appeal court consider the new evidence and decide whether Salmon’s conviction was a miscarriage of justice. The Court ruled in his client’s favour Thursday, giving no reasons. Salmon testified, at his 1971 trial in Woodstock, that he never assaulted the mother of three, as alleged, but noticed in the days before her death she slept a great deal and kept stumbling and falling.
A jury found him guilty nonetheless, and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. His appeal to the Ontario Court of Appeal was dismissed in 1972. He was granted parole two years later. Now a 72-year-old married grandfather living in Orillia, Salmon has always maintained his innocence and told the Star last year that he had loved Ditchfield. He could not be reached for comment Friday."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/1278223--supreme-court-orders-41-year-old-manslaughter-conviction-reopened

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.




Sunday, November 25, 2012

Shaken Baby Syndrome: The United Kingdom's reforms; Other (supporting) evidence required. Medill Innocence Project.


STORY: Shaken Baby Syndrome: The United Kingdom's reforms," published on November 20, 2012. (Part two); (This is the second of a three-part series discussing Shaken-Baby Syndrome.)

GIST:  "The UK’s Royal College of Pathologists gathered in 2009. They agreed that the triad of symptoms makes defendants appear clearly guilty but stressed that future trials must consider other evidence to appropriately determine the actual guilt of the defendant. In 2011, the Crown Prosecution Service issued a document of legal guidance on shaken-baby cases. Its main stipulation is that “appropriate supporting evidence (which in certain circumstances can be found in the absence of certain factors) should feature in the case analysis.”"
The entire post can be found at:

http://floridainnocence.org/content/

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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;

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Dr. Aubrey Levin: Witness says sex assault by psychiatrist prompted suicide attempt: Calgary Herald.


STORY: "Witness says sex assault by psychiatrist promted suicide attempt: Levin trial." published by the Calgary Herald on November 23, 2012.

GIST:  "A Calgary man says he visited several hospital emergency rooms for help, then attempted suicide by slicing his wrists and taking an overdose of medication, two days after former forensic psychiatrist Dr. Aubrey Levin sexually assaulted him during an appointment. G.G. told Crown prosecutor Dallas Sopko on Friday that Levin suddenly and unexpectedly grabbed his testicles while he was seeing the doctor for depression. He said the incident on March 27, 2009, lasted about 10 seconds. He also got no explanation from Levin beforehand what he was about to do and nothing afterward as to why he did it. "I looked away and grimaced in pain," said GG. "I turned to the side, then he stopped. By the time I had turned, he had moved straight to my feet. I was surprised to see him move that fast. The witness said Levin immediately grabbed a pen from his pocket after he touched his testicles, then began running it up and down the souls of his feet to test his reflexes, as if nothing has happened. G.G. said he had had testicular examinations previously, but they were much shorter and did not involve pain. He said Levin was not using gloves and that all other doctors had used such protection."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/iphone/news/latest/story.html?id=7603754

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

"Shaken Baby Syndrome": Medill Innocence Project compares the American and British approaches - with disturbing conclusions. (Part one);


 STORY:"Shaken Baby Syndrome: US resists conviction reform, unlike England."  (This is the first of a three-part series discussing Shaken-Baby Syndrome.)

GIST:  "Medical experts and criminal justice professionals disagree over the science behind SBS, because it is relatively new. Irish barrister Alison Enright is a visiting scholar at Medill. She is comparing the United Kingdom’s assessment of shaken baby syndrome with that of the US. In the UK, the three symptoms that suggest SBS—retinal bleeding, brain swelling, and brain bleeding—are not enough to prove  attempted murder or assault by the caretaker. The US courts have been basing their convictions of shaken-baby cases on the existence of this evidence. A press release from Medill quotes Enright, saying: “Despite the growing international recognition of the dangers and flaws inherent in prosecutions based on the triad of injuries, the United States continues to adhere to the classic shaken-baby syndrome prosecution paradigm, raising a real possibility that miscarriages of justice continue to occur and innocent people are being wrongfully convicted.”  The US and UK have generally agreed that the triad of symptoms existed in each SBS case. By making this connection, they shrouded the existence of the symptoms in the righteous, untouchable glow brought on by the label of “science,” like they have for many other archaic scientific determinants that led to false convictions—fingerprints, lie detectors, hair follicle examinations, footprint comparisons, and even poor observation and assumption in blood testings. We now, especially of late, know that all of these and SBS are barely science. Both countries have taken it to the extreme and convicted solely based upon the existence of this triad of evidence."

The entire post can be found at:

http://mip.medill.northwestern.edu/blog/2012/11/12/innocence-project-of-florida-shaken-baby-syndrome-us-resists-conviction-reform-unlike-england/

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Pamela Jacobazzi: (Illinois); "Shaken baby syndrome" case; Medill Innocence Project idenied police records; Appeal to State's Attorney General.


STORY:  "Medill Innocence Project seeks police records from '94 case," by Allison Flowers, published by the Project on November 21, 2012: Denied reords, Northwestern journalism students appeal to the Illinois Attorney General.

GIST: "The Medill Innocence Project is fighting to gain access to police records after Bartlett, Ill., a western suburb of Chicago, declined to release documents from an 18-year-old murder case Northwestern University journalism students are investigating. Students quickly responded by appealing to the Illinois Attorney General. The state’s attorney in DuPage County is now seeking a protective order from a Circuit Court judge in DuPage that may keep Bartlett from being compelled to release the records. Last month, students in an investigative journalism class, supported by the Medill Innocence Project, submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Bartlett Police Department, requesting all public documents related to the investigation of a 2 year old’s head trauma in 1994 and death a year later. Pamela Jacobazzi, 57, a former DuPage County daycare worker, is serving 32 years in prison for allegedly shaking and injuring the child; she is set to be released in 2018. Jacobazzi maintains her innocence. She awaits a hearing scheduled next May to see if she will be granted a new trial in DuPage County. Several weeks ago, Bartlett, with a population of more than 41,000 about 30 miles from Chicago, denied the Medill Innocence Project’s FOIA request........."
 The entire story can be found at:

http://mip.medill.northwestern.edu/blog/2012/11/21/medill-innocence-project-seeks-police-records-from-94-case/
 
PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.




Thursday, November 22, 2012

Bulletin: Dr. Aubrey Levin: Patient testifies Levin fondled him in office only weeks after suicide attempt. Calgary Herald.


STORY: "Patient testifies Levin fondled him in office only weeks after suicide attempt," by reporter Daryl Slade,  published in the Calgary Herald, on November 22, 2012.

GIST: "The third alleged sex assault victim of Dr. Aubrey Levin became emotionally charged when he testified how the former forensic psychiatrist fondled his genitals in his first visit after he spent a week in hospital following a suicide attempt three years ago. “He had his hand on my penis. He began stroking it. I was not aroused at all,” a sobbing J.M. told Crown prosecutor Bill Wister. “I think that’s why he stopped.” J.M. said the Dec. 15, 2009, incident in Levin’s office at Peter Lougheed Centre lasted about 30 seconds. He said he was staring at the ceiling and shaking during the incident, which he says he did not consent to happening. The witness said he had voluntarily gone to the doctor because of relationship issues with his gay partner in the fall of 2009, then attempted suicide."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.calgaryherald.com/mobile/news/calgary/claims+Levin+fondled+office+only+weeks+after+suicide/7596466/story.html

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Bulletin: Dr. Aubrey Levin: Evidence issue stalls sex assault trial for Calgory court doctor: Calgary Sun;



STORY: "Evidence issue stalls sex assault trial for Calgary doctor Aubrey Levin," by reporter Kevin Martin, published in the Calgary Sun on November 22, 2012.
GIST:  "One of the men allegedly sexually assaulted by Calgary psychiatrist Dr. Aubrey Levin was being treated for suicidal thoughts, court heard Wednesday. The witness, who can’t be named, said he was referred to the forensic unit of the Peter Lougheed Centre after going to Rockyview hospital in 2009 for mental health issues. He said during a five-day admission to the psychiatric unit, he was treated by Levin. But the man’s testimony was derailed before he got into any details of any alleged sexual abuse by Levin. Defence counsel Chris Archer said he had an issue with an appointment card the witness produced which had an addition on it by the patient.  As a result, jurors in the six-week-old case were dismissed early once again, leaving Justice Donna Shelley, Archer and Crown prosecutor Bill Wister to deal with it. Jurors — who have spent the vast majority of the trial either waiting in the jury room or sent home — were told to return Thursday."

The entire story can be found at: 

http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/11/22/evidence-issue-stalls-sex-assault-trial-for-calgary-doctor-aubrey-levin

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Clare Spiers: Ontario. Police vetting of jury pool gets murder conviction tossed; Canadian Press;


Dr. Aubrey Levin: Witness in sex abuse case of former court psychiatrist denies making up attack. Calgary Sun.


STORY: "Witness in sex abuse case of former court psychiatrist Dr. Aubrey Levin denies making up attack," by reporter Kevin Martin, published in the Calgary Sun on November 20, 2012.

GIST:  "The second man to take the witness stand and accuse former court psychiatrist Dr. Aubrey Levin of sexual abuse, on Tuesday denied making the whole thing up.........Defence counsel Chris Archer suggested the witness was lying and embellished his story by adding allegations of gross behaviour. Archer noted the man never made the allegation Levin committed a repulsive act after touching his privates until his testimony Monday."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/11/21/witness-in-sex-abuse-case-of-former-court-psychiatrist-dr-aubrey-levin-denies-making-up-attack

See Calgary Herald story by reporter Daryl Slade: (Lawyer suggests complainant in  Levin sex trial motivated by money);

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/Lawyer+suggests+complainant+Levin+trial+motivated+money/7584774/story.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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. 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

San Antonio Four: More media coverage of tainted sexual assault case marked by questionable testimony and flawed forensic science; Grits for Breakfast.


STORY: More media coverage of San Antonio Four, posted by Grits for Breakfast on November 19, 2012.

GIST: "There  has been a spate of recent coverage surrounding the "San Antonio Four" - four lesbian women who may have been falsely convicted of child molestation nearly 20 years ago in a bizarre case tainted by questionable testimony and flawed forensic science. Prospects for their exoneration improved earlier this year when one of the alleged victims recanted her testimony."

The entire post can be found at:

http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.ca/2012/11/more-media-coverage-of-san-antonio-four.html

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Bulletin: Dr. Aubrey Levin: STD exam on patient by accused sex offender called a ruse. Calgary Sun.


STORY: "STD exam on patient by accused sex offender Dr. Aubrey Levin called a ruse by former patient," by reporter Kevin Martin, published in the Calgary Sun, on November 19, 2012.

GIST: "Using the ruse of an examination for possible STDs, former court psychiatrist Dr. Aubrey Levin sexually assaulted a male patient, the man claimed Monday. The witness, who can’t be named, said he had been seeing Levin routinely for years after being ordered to do so by the courts.".........Levin, 73, faces 10 charges of sexual assault involving male patients as far back as 1999.
His trial continues on Tuesday."

The entire story can be found at:

 http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/11/19/std-exam-on-patient-by-accused-sex-offender-dr-aubrey-levin-called-a-ruse-by-former-patient

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Oregon: Allegations of sloppy work, bias, dishonesty taint State Police handwriting unit. The Oregonian.


STORY: "Allegations of sloppy work, bias, dishonesty taint Oregon State Police handwriting unit," by reporter Bryan Denson, published in the Oregonian on November 18, 2012.

GIST: "An Oregon State Police handwriting examiner committed a serious error in a killer-for-hire case last January, provoking so much finger-pointing that the future of the agency's document analysis unit is uncertain. State police officials, confronted by a whodunit under their own roof, suspended all work by the handwriting unit in March, saying little about why. But internal reviews obtained by The Oregonian through open-records filings detail allegations of bias, sloppy work and dishonesty. Out-of-state experts are now re-examining 35 criminal cases worked by the unit's two handwriting analysts, partly to ensure that no innocent people were convicted on faulty findings. Washington State Patrol officials, who relied on the examiner who made the error to review at least 40 of their cases from 2009 to 2010, are waiting to see what the experts find."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/81d445007c46449dae797d7f332e049a/OR--Police-Handwriting

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

"Shaken Baby Syndrome." Why science will have to work its way past politics and religion. Phil Locke. The Wrongful Convictions Blog. Must Read.


 STORY: "SBS - Shaken baby syndrome. Politics and 'religion' vs. new science," by Phil Locke, posted on the Wrongful Convictions Blog on November 16, 2012.

 GIST: "So there you have it.  Old theories die hard.  But in the mean time, I continue to be dismayed by the number of innocent people in prison for inflicting what’s now called “abusive head trauma” on their babies when they actually did nothing at all, and whom I know are absolutely innocent.  Science will ultimately prevail, but it will first have to work its way past the politics and religion."

The entire post can be found at:

http://wrongfulconvictionsblog.org/2012/11/16/sbs-shaken-baby-syndrome-politics-and-religion-vs-new-science/smithforensic.blogspot.com

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Unconfirmed canine "hit" for accelerant is held by Michigan court to be reliable evidence. The Arson Project.


STORY: "Unconfirmed K-9 hit for accelerant is held to be reliable evidence,"  published on November 16, 2012   by The Arson Project."

GIST:  "On March 29, 2006, at about 2:30 a.m., Wlosinski and Dakota conducted a search at 16328 Weddel Street in Taylor, Michigan. During the search, Dakota showed an interest in the left-hand side of the couch in the living room of the apartment. Dakota looked at Wlosinski, but he did not sit down. As the search continued, Dakota provided a positive indication of an accelerant at a table opposite the couch. He sat down and looked at Wlosinski. When they went back to the couch, Dakota again showed interest, but he did not positively indicate. On cross-examination, Wlosinski admitted that his report on the search made no mention of Dakota having made a positive indication at the table. In fact, the report stated that Dakota made no positive indication of accelerants. On redirect and recross examination, Wlosinski explained that he simply omitted mention of the positive indication in his report and that the omission was  not intentional"........."In Michigan, canine-detection evidence, by itself, is not sufficient to support a state conviction, but the presence of corroborating evidence can provide the necessary indicia of reliability for admission of the evidence... The following corroborating evidence existed in this case: fire marshal John Hager’s testimony regarding the use of an accelerant; the absence of an electrical, mechanical, or other explanation for the fire; Petitioner’s prior threat to burn the place; and the fact that he was the last person seen leaving the apartment before the fire was detected. Furthermore, Captain Wlosinski was a certified canine handler who had received specialized training with his dog, Dakota. Following that training, Wlosinski received over a hundred hours of instruction in the detection of accelerants. Dakota was trained to detect up to fourteen types of accelerants, and he, too, was certified. In light of this training and certification and the corroborating evidence, it was not an abuse of discretion to admit testimony that Dakota had alerted to the presence of an accelerant."

The entire post can be found at:

http://thearsonproject.wordpress.com/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Drayton Witt: Arizona Innocence Project applauded for work which freed him in 'Shaken Baby' case - after ten years behind bars. California Innocence Project.


STORY: "Arizona Justice Project frees innocent man in Shaken Baby case," by Audrey McGinn, published on November 14, 2012.

GIST:  "Drayton served 10 of his 20 year sentence in prison until The Arizona Justice Project exonerated Drayton by using the most recent research on SBS.  They contacted A.J. Mosley, the medical examiner who testified in Witt’s 2002 trial.   Mosley recanted his trial testimony by saying, “There is now no longer consensus in the medical community that the findings I reported in my autopsy report are reliable proof of SBS [shaken baby syndrome] or child abuse . . .Steven had a complicated medical history, including unexplained neurological problems. He had no outward signs of abuse. If I were to testify today, I would state that I believe Steven’s death was likely the result of a natural disease process, not SBS.”"

The entire story can be found at:

http://californiainnocenceproject.org/blog/2012/11/14/az-justice-project-frees-innocent-man-in-shaken-baby-case/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Preston Hughes III: Executed by Texas; Maintains innocence in last words. Medical examiner's sworn statement pointed to innocence. Houston Chronicle.


STORY: "In last words, condemned man maintains innocence," by reporter Anita Hassan, published in the Houston Chronicle on November 15, 2012.


GIST: "Just before he received the lethal injection, Hughes turned toward his mother, Brenda Johnson, and sister, Celeste A. Perreo, who stood behind their mother. "You know I'm innocent, and I love you both," Hughes, 46, said in his final statement. "Please continue to fight for my innocence even though I'm gone.".........Thursday's execution also followed a failed attempt this week by Hughes' attorney to persuade the Texas Board of Paroles and Pardons to commute the inmate's death sentence to life in prison. In his petition to the board, Hughes' attorney, Pat McCann, argued that police lied when they told jurors Charles identified her attacker as "Preston" in her dying breath. McCann supplemented his argument with a sworn statement from a deputy Tarrant County medical examiner, who said Charles would have lost consciousness within 60 seconds of the attack. The policeman who claimed to have heard the statement arrived 13 minutes after Charles died, McCann said. McCann also argued that police checked items confiscated from his client's apartment into their evidence room about three hours before Hughes agreed to the search."
The entire story can be found at:

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Houston-man-executed-for-1988-killings-4042129.php

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Preston Hughes III: Texas set to execute him in spite of "plethora of evidence" that suggests he is the wrong man or was framed by the police; Houston Chronicle.


STORY: "State (Texas) on track to execute its 15th in 2012: Preston Hughes' appeals have repeatedly been denied," by reporter Jordan Smith, published in the Houston Chronicle on November 15, 2012.

GIST: "At press time, the state was readying to carry out the Nov. 15 execution of Preston Hughes III, set to become the 15th inmate executed this year and the 492nd inmate executed since reinstatement of the death penalty. Hughes was sentenced to death for the 1988 double murder of 15-year-old LaShandra Charles and her 3-year-old cousin, Marcell Taylor, who were found stabbed to death on a weed-choked trail behind a Fuddruckers in far West Houston.........Hughes' appeals have been unsuccessful despite a plethora of evidence that suggests either that he is the wrong man, or that he was framed by police despite being guilty: Evidence records reflect that police logged evidence into custody several hours before they had permission to search Hughes' apartment. Notably, the glasses that police considered a direct link between Charles and Hughes were not on the evidence list; Hughes' attorney and supporters believe they were planted in the apartment some time in the hours after Charles was discovered. Moreover, when asked by the Chronicle this fall to review the autopsy evidence, Tarrant County Deputy Medical Examiner Lloyd White concluded that it would have been medically impossible for Charles to have been conscious and talking after sustaining such a fatal injury. Hughes' attorney Pat McCann has filed several recent appeals – including one that raises the question of police having planted evidence – each of which has been denied. Meanwhile, California-based blogger John Allen, known online as the Skeptical Juror (www.skepticaljuror.com), has helped Hughes to file a flurry of pro se writs; each of those also has been denied, clearing the way for Hughes' execution this evening, Thursday, Nov. 15."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2012-11-16/state-on-track-to-execute-its-15th-in-2012/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.

The Charles Smith Blog is back in action! Hank Skinner; Prosecutors claim DNA tests confirm guilt; His lawyer cautions against premature conclusions; Austin Chronicle.


STORY: "New DNA testing confirms Skinner's guilt, AG's office says -  but DNA testing not complete, lawyer warns," by reporter Jordan Smith, published in the Austin Chronicle on November 15, 2012.

GIST: "DNA testing in the case of death row inmate Hank Skinner"confirm" that he is responsible for the deaths of his longtime girlfriend, Twila Busby, and her two grown sons, Elwin Caler and Randy Busby, who were murdered in the home they shared in Pampa on New Year's Eve 1993, lawyers for the state assert in papers filed in Gray County court on Tuesday.........In a statement released Wednesday, Owen criticized the state for jumping to conclusions about the DNA results obtained thus far. Owen noted that testing is still ongoing – including on two items where a mixture of DNA, including that of an unknown person has been found. While no DNA was found on one of the knives collected from the house, a mixture of DNA, including Skinner and Caler, was found on a knife collected from the front porch of the house, along with a DNA profile from an unknown person. Similarly, a mixture of DNA, including an unknown profile, was found on a blood sample of carpet collected from the sons' bedroom. "We will remain unable to draw any strong conclusions about whether the DNA testing has resolved the stubborn questions about Hank Skinner's guilt or innocence until additional DNA testing has been completed."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/blogs/news/2012-11-15/new-dna-testing-confirms-skinners-guilt-ags-office-says/

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE

I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.