David McCallum: The Brooklyn Paper's story on efforts to have his case reviewed by Brooklyn's new District Attorney Ken Thompson. (Excellent background on the case);

PUBLISHER'S VIEW: As a huge admirer of Rubin Carter - a great, courageous inspirational man, I am distressed to learn through this article  penned for the New York Daily News to learn that he is on his deathbed. At the same time, it is the mark of  a truly great man to use what must be near the last moments of his life to make a plea on behalf of David McCallum, of Brooklyn, who he believes to be innocent. I will therefore do my best for Rubin to help get his message out to Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson and add my voice accordingly. I encourage all of my readers to pray for Rubin, and add their voices too. I will be closely  following developments in the quest for a review of this case.

Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;

STORY: "New District Attorney could free man convicted in controversial  murder case," by reporter Will Bredderman, published by the Brooklyn Paper, on February 3, 2014;

PHOTO CAPTION: "Exonerator: Oscar Michelen, the pro-bono attorney for David McCallum, has asked new District Attorney Ken Thompson to review the Bushwick man’s conviction for murder 29 years ago based entirely on a recanted confession."

GIST: "A Bushwick man jailed for murder 29 years ago in a dubious conviction is hoping the new district attorney will take another look at his case. Attorneys for David McCallum, who confessed in 1985 — allegedly under duress — to the kidnapping and murder of a Queens man, are lobbying new top borough lawman Ken Thompson to re-investigate the case. The lawyers argue that neither the DNA nor the handprints found at the scene of the crime match McCallum or his convicted co-conspirator Willie Stuckey, and that the pair’s convictions rested almost entirely on their confessions — which were not consistent with each other or the forensic evidence, and which they both immediately recanted. “At no time then or since has a single piece of forensic evidence — or evidence of any kind — ever tied McCallum or Stuckey to the crime,” wrote Oscar Michelen, who has represented McCallum pro-bono for the past nine years, in a letter to Thompson on Jan. 22. McCallum and Stuckey — who died in prison in 2001 — were just 16 when they were arrested and charged with holding up 20–year–old Ozone Park resident Nathan Blenner, forcing him into his Buick, driving to Aberdeen Park on Bushwick Avenue, and then shooting Blenner in the head and torching the car nearby.".........McCallum’s decision to maintain his innocence has cost him, as he has been repeatedly turned down for parole for failing to express regret. McCallum’s case has attracted some star power. Michelen took up the convict’s cause at the personal request of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, the boxer wrongly convicted in 1966 of a triple homicide, only to have his conviction overturned in 1985, following widespread public outcry and a Bob Dylan song. Also, Brooklyn attorney John O’Hara — whom Hynes indicted in 1996 on the obscure felony charge of voting in the incorrect location after O’Hara worked on the campaigns of candidates Hynes opposed — has joined McCallum’s legal team pro-bono. O’Hara said McCallum’s situation was a key reason why he worked to see Thompson elected District Attorney last year........Thompson’s office declined to comment on whether it would review McCallum’s case."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/37/6/all-wrongful-conviction-review-2014-02-07-bk_37_6.html

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/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
 
http://smithforensic.blogspot.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
 
I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com.

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.