After FBI Analysis Debunked, Charges Dropped Against Man Who Spent 30 Years In Prison," by Karen Brown, published by New England Public Radio on October 19, 2017.
GIST: "There could be far-reaching consequences now that prosecutors have dropped charges against a western Massachusetts man who spent 30 years in prison for a rape he says he did not commit.
George Perrot was a teenager in 1985 when he was convicted of raping a Springfield woman.
The key evidence was a piece of hair that an FBI agent testified must have been Perrot's, based on a microscopic analysis. Journalist Florence Graves investigated Perrot's case for the Schuster Institute at Brandeis University. "When people hear an FBI agent saying something emphatically, and it says it’s science, it’s hard to know about all of these… to question an FBI agent, frankly,” Graves said. But scientists have since debunked that hair analysis method, and in February 2016, a judge let Perrot out of jail -- with the chance of a new trial. This week, the Hampden Country District Attorney's office decided to drop all charges against Perrot, citing the FBI's own disavowal of its method. Graves said the dismissal, believed to be the first based on faulty hair science, could have broad ramifications. “We now know that there are hundreds — well, there are actually thousands of cases — in which the FBI agents testified, all across the United States,” Graves said. “They trained people at police departments in their methodology. So there are thousands of cases out there.” Graves said her investigative team is trying to find as many of those cases as possible to determine who else was wrongfully convicted."
The entire story can be found at:
George Perrot was a teenager in 1985 when he was convicted of raping a Springfield woman.
The key evidence was a piece of hair that an FBI agent testified must have been Perrot's, based on a microscopic analysis. Journalist Florence Graves investigated Perrot's case for the Schuster Institute at Brandeis University. "When people hear an FBI agent saying something emphatically, and it says it’s science, it’s hard to know about all of these… to question an FBI agent, frankly,” Graves said. But scientists have since debunked that hair analysis method, and in February 2016, a judge let Perrot out of jail -- with the chance of a new trial. This week, the Hampden Country District Attorney's office decided to drop all charges against Perrot, citing the FBI's own disavowal of its method. Graves said the dismissal, believed to be the first based on faulty hair science, could have broad ramifications. “We now know that there are hundreds — well, there are actually thousands of cases — in which the FBI agents testified, all across the United States,” Graves said. “They trained people at police departments in their methodology. So there are thousands of cases out there.” Graves said her investigative team is trying to find as many of those cases as possible to determine who else was wrongfully convicted."
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
