Sonja Farak: Massachusetts: Boston Herald asks: "Who do you believe, the politician or the judge?"..."Who’s telling the truth — Attorney General Maura Healey or Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey? The Democrat AG says there is “no evidence of prosecutorial misconduct by attorneys in the AG’s office.” But after months of hearings, the judge last week ruled that two assistant AG’s engaged in “intentional, repeated, prolonged and deceptive withholding of evidence from defendants, the court and local prosecutors ... (conduct that was) egregious and harmful to the administration of justice.” This is the scandal of Sonja Farak, the former state chemist who from 2004 to 2013 continuously worked under the influence of drugs, including heroin and LSD, at the state labs in Jamaica Plain and Amherst, handling tens of thousands of criminal drug analyses and HIV tests. After her 10-year binge on stolen drugs, Farak pleaded guilty in 2014 to drug theft and tampering and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. Now defendants in her drug cases are trying to get their convictions tossed. Last week Judge Carey vacated seven of the convictions, ruling that conduct by the attorney general’s office had sunk to “a depth of deceptiveness that constitutes a fraud upon the court.” Who do you believe, the politician or the judge?"

 

COMMENTARY: "Carr: Judge sees misconduct; Attorney General sees none," by Howie Carr, published by The Boston Herald on July 2, 2017.

GIST: Who’s telling the truth — Attorney General Maura Healey or Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey? The Democrat AG says there is “no evidence of prosecutorial misconduct by attorneys in the AG’s office.” But after months of hearings, the judge last week ruled that two assistant AG’s engaged in “intentional, repeated, prolonged and deceptive withholding of evidence from defendants, the court and local prosecutors ... (conduct that was) egregious and harmful to the administration of justice.” This is the scandal of Sonja Farak, the former state chemist who from 2004 to 2013 continuously worked under the influence of drugs, including heroin and LSD, at the state labs in Jamaica Plain and Amherst, handling tens of thousands of criminal drug analyses and HIV tests. After her 10-year binge on stolen drugs, Farak pleaded guilty in 2014 to drug theft and tampering and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. Now defendants in her drug cases are trying to get their convictions tossed. Last week Judge Carey vacated seven of the convictions, ruling that conduct by the attorney general’s office had sunk to “a depth of deceptiveness that constitutes a fraud upon the court.” Who do you believe, the politician or the judge?

The entire story can be found at:

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http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/howie_carr/2017/07/carr_judge_sees_misconduct_ag_sees_none

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/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;