PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Kudos to Ropes and Gray for the extraordinary pro bono representation the firm provided Mr. Huffington. Although his case was finally resolved by an Alford plea, it cries out actual innocence and the horrible consequences of flawed science and false forensic testimony.
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;
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QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It is with a heavy heart that I accept this plea," Mr. Huffington stated. "I understand that this is the best path forward in order to move on in my life, but it does not bring the full exoneration and vindication that I have fought for during the past 36 years. My heartfelt sympathies go out to the victims' families in this case, and I understand their desire to find closure as well. In our different quests for justice, we were all victims of a system that did not serve us well. I am committed to continuing my life's work to help others and, most of all, I owe a debt of gratitude to all those who have stood by me, recognized my innocence, and fought on my behalf."
John Huffington;
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RELEASE: "Mr. Huffington Maintains His Innocence in Controversial,
Long-Challenged Double Murder Case and is Sentenced to Time Served, by the Law Firm Ropes and Gray, published on December 7, 2017. (Ropes and Gray describes itself as a global law firm with more than 1,200 lawyers and legal professionals serving
clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and
government.
Previously, juries twice convicted Mr. Huffington of first-degree murder in the deaths of Diane Becker and Joseph Hudson. The first trial, in 1981, occurred in Caroline County.
Mr. Huffington was later granted a new trial due to evidence
improperly introduced by the State. The second trial took place in Frederick County in 1983. Mr. Huffington has always maintained his innocence of the charged offense. In
2013, as the result of newly discovered DNA evidence that demonstrated
that hairs discovered at the crime scene were not Mr. Huffington's, the
Circuit Court for Frederick County, Maryland,
granted Mr. Huffington's petition for a writ of actual innocence,
vacated his murder convictions, and ordered a new trial. The faulty
evidence came from an FBI lab that has been forced to acknowledge
widespread mismanagement and false testimony. "It is with a heavy heart that I accept this
plea," Mr. Huffington stated. "I understand that this is the best path
forward in order to move on in my life, but it does not bring the full
exoneration and vindication that I have fought for during the past 36
years. My heartfelt sympathies go out to the victims' families in this
case, and I understand their desire to find closure as well. In our
different quests for justice, we were all victims of a system that did
not serve us well. I am committed to continuing my life's work to help
others and, most of all, I owe a debt of gratitude to all those who have
stood by me, recognized my innocence, and fought on my behalf. " Teams of Ropes and Gray pro bono lawyers have represented Mr. Huffington in connection with this prosecution for 30 years."
The entire release can be found at the link below:
The entire release can be found at the link below:
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
