COMMENTARY: "Successful appeals keep the conversation going," by Sue Luttner, published on her Blog "ON SBS" on September 19, 2014.
GIST: "Two court decisions in different parts of the country have brought shaken baby syndrome theory into the news this week, one focusing on the science of infant head injury and the other on legal process..........In a move that USA Today called a possible state precedent, Judge James J. Piampiano in Monroe County, New York, vacated the murder conviction of child care provider Rene Bailey, citing what he called “a compelling and consequential shift in mainstream medical opinion” about the kind of injuries suffered by two-and-a-half-year-old Brittney Sheets at Bailey’s home day care in 2001.........Meanwhile, the Mississippi Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s decision and ordered a new trial for LeeVester Brown, convicted in 2002 of shaking his son to death.
Brown said that 6-month-old Le’Anthony had choked on a bottle and then had trouble breathing. At the emergency room, doctors found “no bruises, abrasions, scars, or anything else abnormal,” but an autopsy by controversial medical examiner Dr. Steven Hayne concluded that the boy had been shaken to death.
Brown’s appeal hinged on the trial court’s refusal to grant him the funds to hire a defense expert, but it also addressed the court’s moves to limit the cross-examination of the state’s experts during trial. You can read the full published decision here."
The entire commentary can be found at:
http://onsbs.com/2014/12/19/successful-appeals-keep-the-conversation-going/
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.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
