PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Once in a while, when things are really gloomy, a ray of sunshine brightens up the room. That's how I felt when I read Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel's heartfelt lament on the dissolution of the National Commission on Forensic Science. As Hummel sees it, it's not about losing; It's not about winning. It's about helping judges and lawyers base their decisions on 'good science' in the criminal courts. D.A Hummel's heartfelt lament stands out among a throng of prosecutors who have been gleefully applauding A.G. Jeff Sessions initiative to keep America's courtroom doors open to junk science - and the junk convictions that go with it. Bravo, Mr. Hummel. You bring dignity and respect to your office. Your comments should be nailed on the doors of every prosecutor's office in America, including Mr Sessions.
Harold Levy: Publisher. The Charles Smith Blog.
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STORY: "D.A.: DOJ (Department of Justice) Decision To End Science Panel "Disheartening," by reporter Heather Roberts, published by KBND News on April 12, 2017.
GIST: "The Deschutes County District Attorney is frustrated over a recent decision by the U.S. Attorney General to dissolve the National Commission on Forensic Science. The bipartisan, independent commission was made up of judges, attorneys and scientists appointed by President Obama to advise on the use of science in criminal cases. They were scheduled to release a report on their progress, later this month. D.A. John Hummel tells KBND News, "As a District Attorney, if you’re doing it right, you know your job is not to obtain convictions. Your job is to find the truth and seek justice. Sometimes science sets people free and sometimes it locks them up. And, we rely on that science to be accurate. The US Attorney seems to be less enthused about that principle than me but I want people to know that we’re going to continue to seek the truth in Deschutes County. Hummel says this is the first time he’s spoken out against federal "This commission was going to give guidance to law enforcement, to judges, to defense attorneys all across the country. So that decision impacts the prosecution of every case in the country. When a decision like this is made that impacts me, and impacts the residents of Deschutes County, I think it is appropriate that I state my opinion." He says his criticism isn’t against President Trump or Attorney General Jeff Sessions, "I respect the President and the Attorney General, but this is about the policy. I think this policy decision is wrong; it’s disheartening." He adds, "I was looking forward to the report that that Commission on Science was going to release soon, that would have given judges and attorneys guidance on what is good science and what is science that shouldn’t be relied upon. But, now that Commission is no more." Attorney General Sessions say the Justice Department will instead appoint an in-house advisor and create an internal committee to study improvements to forensic analysis."
The entire story can be found at:
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/
