POST: "Day care owner makes her case for Governor's clemency," by Lauren Schroeder, published by the Medill Justice Project on October 10, 2013.
GIST: "A Chicago-area day care owner imprisoned for more than 14 years for a murder she says she didn’t commit pleaded through her advocates for clemency in a hearing Thursday but it could take months—perhaps years—before the governor takes action. Defense attorney Anthony J. Sassan, along with representatives from the Illinois Innocence Project, asked a three-member panel of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board to recommend a pardon for Pamela Jacobazzi, 58, who was convicted of violently shaking a 2-year-old infant who died nearly 20 years ago. During the 20-minute hearing in downtown Chicago, Sassan cited testimony from medical experts and revelatory findings from a recent Medill Justice Project investigation that he says point to Jacobazzi’s innocence. The prisoner wasn’t present but about a dozen supporters, including her mother and son, attended the hearing.
Shaken-baby syndrome or abusive head trauma is marked by a triad of symptoms: brain bleeding, brain swelling and bleeding within the eyes. Medical studies in recent years have shown accidental trauma and other medical conditions may mimic the symptoms of shaken-baby syndrome. Sassan said these studies challenge Jacobazzi’s 1999 conviction in DuPage County. Sassan also noted the 2012 findings of a Medill Justice Project investigation, which brought the medical studies to the attention of the ophthalmologist who originally diagnosed the infant with “shaken injuries” in 1994. In an interview with The Medill Justice Project, the ophthalmologist acknowledged that the infant’s symptoms of eye damage could have resulted from non-abusive causes. Sassan called The Medill Justice Project’s findings a “major part of the petition.” At the hearing Thursday, he said, “The science has changed and it’s evolved, but there’s no way to address that in court. That’s why we’re here today. Because clemency is the only way to address these issues.”"
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.medilljusticeproject.org/2013/10/10/day-care-owner-makes-her-case-for-governors-clemency/
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following 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.
I look forward to hearing from readers at:
hlevy15@gmail.com;
