County Prosecutor Josh Downey;
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"Reformers have for years recommended that all forensic labs be independent from law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies' and this is a key reform promoted by The Justice Project (2008). But fixing these problems is only half the answer' because half of the wrongful convictions attributed to misleading forensic evidence involved deliberate forensic fraud' evidence tampering' and/or perjury.
From "The Elephant in the Crime Lab," by co-authored by Sheila Berry and Larry Ytuarte; Forensic Examiner; Spring, 2009;
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STORY: "Bo Williams faces up to 10 years in prison when he’s sentenced on March 28, by reporter John Raby, published on January 18, 2016.
GIST: "Bo Williams entered the plea to a charge of entering without breaking Wednesday in Roane County Circuit Court. County
Prosecutor Josh Downey said Williams was accused of taking
methamphetamine from the storage area when he was a Spencer police
officer last fall. He resigned in December, a month after being elected
sheriff. He took office this month. According
to a criminal complaint, meth was found in Williams’ desk and police
vehicle. The complaint said several evidence bags found with Williams
contained case numbers corresponding to missing evidence. Downey
said Williams told him, Spencer Police Chief Greg Nichols and a state
police sergeant last November that he had been addicted to meth for more
than a year. Downey said Williams admitted removing methamphetamine
from a police case file and consuming it. Williams faces up to 10 years in prison when he’s sentenced on March 28. “It’s
an example of what drugs like meth have done to our communities,”
Downey said. “Some people have a picture of what a drug addict looks
like. It shows that it can be anybody.”.........Williams was
elected sheriff in November and his term started Jan. 1. While serving
as a police officer in Spencer, Williams was placed on leave and he
resigned in December after evidence went missing. The complaint said
more than $1,000 (U.S.) in evidence was involved. He originally was
charged with grand larceny. Williams agreed
to resign as part of a plea agreement with the prosecutor’s office in
neighbouring Wood County, which handled the court case. Downey said he’s
“relieved more than anything” by the conviction because of the toll it
was taking on a small central West Virginia community. “It’s been real stressful on the whole courthouse,” Lambert said. “It’s been stressful on his family, I’m sure.” Downey said Williams also agreed to give up his law enforcement credentials."
The entire story can be found at:
/news/world/2017/01/18/west-virginia-sheriff-accused-of-meth-theft-pleads-guilty-resigns.html
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. 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/
