Flawed forensics: Kirk Odom; Once established practices come under scrutiny -and reveal wrongful convictions; Reporter Eric Tucker; Associated Press.

STORY: "Flawed forensics see wrongful convictions," by Associated Press reporter Eric Tucker published on May 13, 2015.

PHOTO CAPTION:  "Kirk Odom, speaking to The Associated Press at his home, always maintained his innocence, saying he was home asleep at the time the assault occurred."

GIST: "The Innocence Project, which works to exonerate the wrongly accused, has identified 74 overturned convictions in which faulty hair evidence was a factor. Now, a new disclosure by the FBI that experts gave erroneous testimony on hair analysis in more than 250 trials before 2000 suggests that number could rise dramatically. Defense lawyers say the latest revelations — on top of established concerns about bite-mark identification and arson science — confirm fears about the shortcomings of old-fashioned forensic techniques and could affect thousands of cases. Advancing technologies have put such techniques under more scrutiny, including from judges, and highlighted the limits of once-established practices."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_28104269/flawed-forensics-see-wrongful-convictions