FBI overstated hair match crisis; (The Emperor's Clothes): Life After Innocence calls it "A Hairy Mess." University of Virginia law Professor Brandon L. Garrett calls it a "criminal justice mass disaster" which is unable to self-correct. "This is because courts rely on outdated precedents admitting scientifically invalid testimony at trial, and make it complicated for those convicted to challenge old evidence under the legal doctrine of finality. Those who have been wrongfully conviction face another hurdle during the appellate process because most biological evidence is either lost or unavailable."

STORY: "A hairy mess," by Carly Chocron, published by Life After Innocence on June 7, 2015.

GIST: "Wrongful convictions result from a variety of reasons ranging from faulty eyewitness identification, coerced confessions, prosecutorial misconduct, to ineffective assistance from counsel, among other things. Now, the Justice Department and the FBI have formally acknowledged that 26 of the 28 examiners in the FBI Laboratory’s microscopic hair comparison unit gave flawed testimony in almost all trials against criminal defendants for more than a 20 year period prior to 2000. ........Brandon L. Garrett, University of Virginia law professor, has described this criminal justice “mass disaster” as unable to self-correct. This is because courts rely on outdated precedents admitting scientifically invalid testimony at trial, and make it complicated for those convicted to challenge old evidence under the legal doctrine of finality. Those who have been wrongfully conviction face another hurdle during the appellate process because most biological evidence is either lost or unavailable. California and Texas are the only states that allow appeals when experts recant or scientific advances undermine forensic evidence at trial. Currently, Texas, New York and North Carolina authorities are reviewing their hair examiner cases, and there are 15 other states with efforts underway."

https://lifeafterinnocence.wordpress.com/2015/06/07/a-hairy-mess/

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;