STORY: "Alleging 'government corruption' in drug lab, evidence room scandals, Springfield drug defendant files $5.7 million federal lawsuit," by reporter Stephanie Barry, published by Mass Live on September 5, 2017.
GIST: "A civil rights lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court combines nearly every recent high-profile law enforcement scandal in the region -- which, according to the complaint, collided to unfairly put one man behind bars for more than five years. Rolando Penate served five years, seven months and 12 days in prison while his attorney fought to prove the case against him had been corrupted on multiple levels, the lawsuit states. Now, Penate is suing 18 defendants including assistant attorneys general and their managers, state health officials who oversaw forensic drug labs, disgraced former chemist Sonja Farak, city police officers and the estate of late detective Kevin Burnham, plus the city itself. Penate is pursuing $5.7 million in damages, according to court documents. The 57-page lawsuit filed Tuesday paints a disheartening picture of the state's criminal justice system, including: an alleged thieving evidence room cop; the former state chemist who admitted she was raiding drug lab samples and consuming cocaine and LSD on the job; state attorneys and police who allegedly staged a cover-up to save face and avoid extra work; indifferent and underfunded state health officials who essentially relegated a now-defunct Amherst crime analysis lab to crash-and-burn status. These separately troubled individuals and agencies intersected to put Penate, a small-time accused heroin dealer, behind bars until Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey dismissed his conviction in late June, according to the suit. Carey also issued a 127-page decision lambasting the state attorney general's office for mishandling and concealing evidence in the Farak case, among other missteps."
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/c
