STORY: "Watchdog report: Shaken-baby science doubts grow: Debate stirs questions about 2001 conviction of Greece woman," by reporter Steve Orr, published by ther Democrat and Chronicle on July 1, 2013. (Part one of a two-part series). (Thanks to the Wrongful Convictions Blog" for drawing our attention to this story. HL.)
VIDEO CAPTION: "Controversy over shaken baby syndrome: In a two-day series, the Democrat and Chronicle explores the growing controversy behind shaken baby syndrome – a diagnosis that shaking caused severe injuries or death with a child – and looks at a conviction now under challenge."
GIST: "Eleven years ago, a Greece day-care provider was convicted of murder after the death of a 2½-year-old child who suffered a grievous head injury in the provider’s home. René Bailey, now 53 years old, remains in state prison. But a pro bono lawyer is out to see her exonerated. The lawyer, Adele Bernhard, has filed a lengthy legal challenge to Bailey’s conviction, hoping to persuade a Monroe County Court judge not just that Bailey is innocent of the crime but that no crime was even committed that fateful day in June 2001. Bernhard says new evidence, including a startling eyewitness account that came to light after Bailey’s trial, proves little Brittney Sheets’ death was accidental.........At the heart of René Bailey’s conviction, and Bernhard’s legal challenge, is shaken-baby syndrome, the popular term used to describe brain damage suffered by an infant or toddler who is violently shaken by an adult. Over the last 30 years, shaken-baby syndrome has come to be considered one of the most heinous forms of child abuse. Dozens of people in the Rochester area, and thousands nationwide, have been prosecuted for harming or killing small children in this way. The scales of justice in these cases often tip on the word of doctors who say they can discern that intentional shaking took place by the nature of the injuries suffered by the young victims. Many physicians and prosecutors remain confident in those judgments, but some critics say those doctors can be wrong. They claim innocent people have been sent to prison. René Bailey is one of them, Bernhard believes."
THE ENTIRE STORY CAN BE FOUND AT:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130630/NEWS01/306300031/shaken-baby-syndrome-brittney-sheets
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
Dear reader: Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following developments relating to this case;
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/
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.
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.
