Wednesday, October 31, 2018

On-going: Crime lab improprieties; Houston Forensic Science Center: Fired crime scene investigator Tammy Barette: Texas; The Houston Chronicle reports (reporter Samantha Ketterer) that she was fired "after leaders determined that she violated policy by using personal equipment, resulting in several false negatives on biological evidence and affecting two sex assault cases."..."As a crime scene investigator, Barette was required to use a device called an Alternative Light Source, which identifies the presence of biological fluids such as blood, saliva and semen. The tool doesn't prove the presence of DNA or involve the actual testing of the material, Stout said. But Barette was using her own instrument, which didn't meet the forensic science center's requirements, officials said Friday. Adequate light sources need to operate at a range of wavelengths, and the investigator's only operated on one. Tyler Flood, criminal defense attorney and former president of Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, commended the crime lab for being transparent and called the investigator's alleged actions a "complete disregard for the integrity of forensic evidence."

On-going; Eric Hillman: Texas: Prosecutorial misconduct? Innocence Project will argue in court today (Wednesday, October 31, 2018) that Hillman was wrongly fired when he refused to follow an illegal order to hide potentially exculpatory evidence from a defendant..."Eric Hillman was an Assistant District Attorney in Nueces County who unfairly lost his job in January 2014 after he found an independent witness who was not included in police reports from an intoxication assault prosecution. Hillman, who also served as a Harris County (Houston) police officer for 21 years, was ordered by a DA’s Office supervisor to keep the information about the witness to himself, saying it did not have to be turned over to defense lawyers because it came from an independent investigation. After he was fired for refusing to “follow orders,” Hillman sued to get his job back, arguing that Texas law should protect prosecutors who refuse to break the law and hide evidence that aids the defense. Earlier this year, the Innocence Project and the Innocence Project of Texas urged the Texas Supreme Court to take up Hillman’s case, arguing in a friend of the court brief that these employment protections are critical to ensuring that innocent persons are not wrongly convicted. This is the first time in its twenty-seven year history that the Innocence Project has appeared in court or filed a brief on behalf of a current or former prosecutor."


PUBLISHER'S NOTE: An extremely important case: All too many of the cases reported on in this Blog have involved prosecutor's concealment of exculpatory evidence (such as the existence of forensic reports pointing to innocence, and a wide variety of exculpatory forensic evidence.) Eric Hillman be saluted for  his exemplary conduct as an officer of the court - not fired. (those who fired him to not deserve to be on the public payroll.) Bravo to the Innocence Project and Hillman's personal lawyer for taking on the case,  which we will continue to follow on the pages of this Blog.

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "The Innocence Project represented Michael Morton, a Williamson County resident who spent almost 25 years in prison for the 1986 murder of his wife, a crime he did not commit. After Morton spent decades wrongfully incarcerated, DNA tests excluded him and implicated another man. Finally, in 2011, Morton was exonerated and freed. A post-conviction investigation revealed that the former prosecutor on the case—who went on to become a judge—intentionally concealed critical evidence that pointed to Morton’s innocence and could have prevented him from being convicted in the first place. In response, and with the support of the Innocence Project, the Texas Legislature in 2013 unanimously passed the Michael Morton Act, which gives defendants access to virtually all evidence in the state’s possession that may aid their defense. Other new laws demonstrating Texas’s commitment to preventing what happened to Michael Morton and others from repeating include measures to extend the statute of limitations on discipline against prosecutors whose misconduct leads to wrongful convictions; and expanding defense access to DNA testing and critical information regarding jailhouse informant and confession evidence."

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Eric Hillman put his livelihood on the line to do the right thing. He should have been celebrated for his commitment to justice, not fired and forced out of his dream job as a prosecutor,” said Nina Morrison, senior staff attorney at the Innocence Project. “This case is also critically important because of its implications for Texas’ progress in preventing wrongful convictions. The state has had more exonerations than any other, and has taken remarkable steps to prevent wrongful convictions by passing a series of laws to correct the system’s flaws. But these new laws can only work if the prosecutors who enforce them are also protected. Texas must not backtrack in its journey toward justice.”

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GIST: "Innocence Project attorneys will argue Wednesday, October 31, 2018 in Texas Supreme Court on behalf of a former Texas prosecutor who was wrongly fired when he refused to follow an illegal order to hide potentially exculpatory evidence from a defendant. Eric Hillman was an Assistant District Attorney in Nueces County who unfairly lost his job in January 2014 after he found an independent witness who was not included in police reports from an intoxication assault prosecution. Hillman, who also served as a Harris County (Houston) police officer for 21 years, was ordered by a DA’s Office supervisor to keep the information about the witness to himself, saying it did not have to be turned over to defense lawyers because it came from an independent investigation. After he was fired for refusing to “follow orders,” Hillman sued to get his job back, arguing that Texas law should protect prosecutors who refuse to break the law and hide evidence that aids the defense. Earlier this year, the Innocence Project and the Innocence Project of Texas urged the Texas Supreme Court to take up Hillman’s case, arguing in a friend of the court brief that these employment protections are critical to ensuring that innocent persons are not wrongly convicted. This is the first time in its twenty-seven year history that the Innocence Project has appeared in court or filed a brief on behalf of a current or former prosecutor. “Eric Hillman put his livelihood on the line to do the right thing. He should have been celebrated for his commitment to justice, not fired and forced out of his dream job as a prosecutor,” said Nina Morrison, senior staff attorney at the Innocence Project. “This case is also critically important because of its implications for Texas’ progress in preventing wrongful convictions. The state has had more exonerations than any other, and has taken remarkable steps to prevent wrongful convictions by passing a series of laws to correct the system’s flaws. But these new laws can only work if the prosecutors who enforce them are also protected. Texas must not backtrack in its journey toward justice.” In addition to the Innocence Project, Hillman’s case has generated support from a diverse array of groups and individuals working in the criminal justice system, from the Cato Institute to the ACLU, as well as Texas law professors and criminal defense lawyers. Lower courts had previously dismissed Hillman’s lawsuit because he was a government employee, concluding that Texas law did not afford the same protections from wrongful discharge for “refusal to commit a crime” that private-sector employees rightly enjoy. The Innocence Project is asking the Texas Supreme Court to reinstate his lawsuit, arguing that given the unique role prosecutors play in the justice system, the stakes are higher than this one case and have important implications for the application of Texas’s own Michael Morton Act. The Innocence Project represented Michael Morton, a Williamson County resident who spent almost 25 years in prison for the 1986 murder of his wife, a crime he did not commit. After Morton spent decades wrongfully incarcerated, DNA tests excluded him and implicated another man. Finally, in 2011, Morton was exonerated and freed. A post-conviction investigation revealed that the former prosecutor on the case—who went on to become a judge—intentionally concealed critical evidence that pointed to Morton’s innocence and could have prevented him from being convicted in the first place. In response, and with the support of the Innocence Project, the Texas Legislature in 2013 unanimously passed the Michael Morton Act, which gives defendants access to virtually all evidence in the state’s possession that may aid their defense. Other new laws demonstrating Texas’s commitment to preventing what happened to Michael Morton and others from repeating include measures to extend the statute of limitations on discipline against prosecutors whose misconduct leads to wrongful convictions; and expanding defense access to DNA testing and critical information regarding jailhouse informant and confession evidence. “As the Morton case and countless others have shown, wrongful convictions jeopardize nothing less than the lives, liberty and public safety of Texas’s citizens,” the Innocence Project said in its papers. “Hillman’s case poses a critical test of this State’s commitment to these fundamental principles.”
Appearing at argument on Wednesday on behalf of the Innocence Project will be Phil Durst of Deats, Durst and Owen PLLC in Austin. Arguing with Mr. Durst on behalf of Eric Hillman will be Hillman’s longtime attorney Chris Gale, of the Gale Law Group in Corpus Christi."

The entire release can be read at:

https://www.innocenceproject.org/oral-arguments-on-behalf-of-fired-prosecutor/

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;

On-going: Tommy Zeigler. Florida; 42 years on death row. Orlando Sentinel: "Could Tommy Zeigler be next death row inmate exonerated in Florida? PI says she's uncovered evidence that should free Zeigler."...“I can’t stop thinking about this guy,” said (Lynn Marie) Carty. “If he dies in there it is going to be a tragedy to the state of Florida and to the Justice system.” Three-hundred-forty-three men remain on death row in Florida. Zeigler has been there longer than all but one of them. He is also the second oldest. A New York Law Firm, convinced of his innocence took up his case several years ago and has spent millions trying to save his life. If Zeigler dies in prison without clearing his name, he wishes they would have just killed him on day one."..."Even with new evidence and DNA testing that disproves what prosecutors presented at trial, the state still wants Tommy Zeigler to die."


PASSAGE OF THE DAY:  "Private investigator Lynn Marie Carty looked at the evidence.  Then she uncovered more evidence and put it online for the world to see. “It’s ridiculous. This is like ridiculous to me at this point,” Carty said. “The prosecution hid so many key elements from the defense that the jury was not able to hear.” The prosecution made sure jurors never heard testimony that could have created reasonable doubt. Today, we know so much more. Claims of a biased judge, unethical conduct and jury manipulation. The irregularities in the case are mind-blowing."

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “He will die on death row one way or the other,” said Ashton.  “Whether that is by natural causes or by the hands of the state you know, I don’t know.”

Former State Attorney Jeff Ashton;

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STORY: "Could Tommy Zeigler be next death row inmate exonerated in Florida? PI says she's uncovered evidence that should free Zeigler," by reporter  Keith Cate, published by News Channel 8 on October 29, 2018.

GIST: "It is a frightening thought. The rush to judgment that sent Tommy Zeigler to death row may have kept the real killer on the street. “They got a conviction and here I am stuck,” Tommy Zeigler said. “I didn’t do it. Look at the evidence.” Private investigator Lynn Marie Carty looked at the evidence.  Then she uncovered more evidence and put it online for the world to see. “It’s ridiculous. This is like ridiculous to me at this point,” Carty said. “The prosecution hid so many key elements from the defense that the jury was not able to hear.” The prosecution made sure jurors never heard testimony that could have created reasonable doubt. Today, we know so much more. Claims of a biased judge, unethical conduct and jury manipulation. The irregularities in the case are mind-blowing. It was Christmas Eve, 1975 at Zeigler’s Furniture store in Winter Garden, Florida.  Tommy Zeigler calls for help because he had been shot.  Four others, including his wife were murdered. Investigators zeroed in on Tommy, never bothering to look for anyone else. Zeigler is now 73 years old.“And I feel every day of it,” said Zeigler. He has spent 42 years on death row agonizing over how he got here. He was a 29-year-old successful businessman with no history of violence before his arrest. Zeigler’s attorneys believe he was railroaded by cops, prosecutors, and a judge who should have recused himself.  There is no way a jury looking at all the facts today would find him guilty.
Private Investigator Carty has spent her own money and eight years of her life working pro bono on Zeigler’s behalf and she has no plans to give up on him now. “How could I stop,” said Carty. “The guy is innocent and I’m positive.” So far, Tommy has failed to convince the state to set him free. Former State Attorney, Jeff Ashton who is now a circuit court judge has fought to keep Zeigler on death row, claiming he killed for insurance money.  It is another fact that has been challenged by Zeigler and his attorneys.  None of it seems to matter.  Even with new evidence and DNA testing that disproves what prosecutors presented at trial, the state still wants Tommy Zeigler to die.   “He will die on death row one way or the other,” said Ashton.  “Whether that is by natural causes or by the hands of the state you know, I don’t know.” Florida has wrongfully convicted and exonerated 27 death row inmates, more than any other state.  Many believe Tommy Zeigler should be the 28th. “I can’t stop thinking about this guy,” said Carty.  “If he dies in there it is going to be a tragedy to the state of Florida and to the Justice system.” Three-hundred-forty-three men remain on death row in Florida. Zeigler has been there longer than all but one of them.  He is also the second oldest. A New York Law Firm, convinced of his innocence took up his case several years ago and has spent millions trying to save his life. If Zeigler dies in prison without clearing his name, he wishes they would have just killed him on day one. Watch Keith's 2013 special, "Death On Hold.""

The entire story can be read at: 
https://www.wfla.com/8-on-your-side/could-tommy-zeigler-be-next-death-row-inmate-exonerated-in-florida-/1560125245

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;
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Back in action: On-going; Kevin Keith: Ohio: Good news for a change. (Yesterday's post detailed the dismissal (several weeks ago) of the lawsuit he had brought against controversial state medical examiner G. Michele Yezzo and others. HL)...""Former Ohio death-row inmate will get chance to challenge murder convictions," Cleveland.com reports. (Reporter Eric Heisig)..."A three-judge panel from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that Kevin Keith may present evidence that prosecutors withheld information that would challenge the credibility of a Bureau of Criminal Investigation forensic scientist (G. Michele Yazzo) who testified at his trial."


PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "The 6th Circuit panel wrote that the evidence Keith presented calls into question the validity of the case against him. It also said prosecutors suppressed the evidence. The panel’s first impression is that no reasonable jury would find him guilty of the crime and that the new evidence warrants a fresh look."

SECOND PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Keith’s previous challenges to his case were unsuccessful. He argues that prosecutors withheld information about now-retired BCI forensic scientist G. Michele Yezzo, who testified at Keith trial’s about license plate impressions and tire tracks that authorities said linked Keith to the killings. Specifically, Keith says several BCI memos from 1989 to 1994 reveal "significant concerns about Yezzo’s mental state and professional integrity,” the 6th Circuit explained. This included a May 1989 report from an assistant BCI superintendent saying there was a consensus that Yezzo “suffers a severe mental imbalance and needs immediate assistance,” the opinion says. Yezzo was placed on leave in August 1993 after threatening to kill co-workers and had a history of making racist outbursts, the court wrote. “In fact, Yezzo was still under investigation when she testified against Keith,” the order says, adding that “Keith was unable to use any of this evidence to impeach Yezzo’s credibility and contest her forensic analysis that linked Keith to the scene of the crime.” The appeals court also said Keith presented evidence that showed Bucyrus police might have ignored his subpoena for police call logs. Specifically, he obtained the police department’s copy, and the words “ignore for now” are written and underlined towards the top of the subpoena. That evidence was at the core of the prosecutors’ case, as investigators said they first heard Keith’s name from a nurse who called police and said Warren identified Keith as the shooter. The call logs, however, do not show any calls from nurses who treated Warren, the court wrote. Cleveland attorney Jim Wooley said he’s happy Keith will have his day in court. He said his client “went from sitting on his couch to death row” in a little more than 90 days, and that the jury never heard all the information Keith now has. “I believe with every fiber of my being that he’s an innocent man,” Wooley, a former federal prosecutor, said.

STORY: "Former Ohio death-row inmate will get chance to challenge murder convictions," by reporter Eric Heisig, published by Cleveland.com on October 29, 2018.
 
GIST: A federal appeals court is allowing a former death-row inmate convicted of murdering three people in Bucyrus to mount another challenge to his case. A three-judge panel from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that Kevin Keith may present evidence that prosecutors withheld information that would challenge the credibility of a Bureau of Criminal Investigation forensic scientist who testified at his trial. Keith can also argue that police in Bucyrus, about 105 miles southwest of Cleveland, intentionally did not respond to a subpoena for call logs before his trial, the panel ruled. Keith, 54, was convicted in 1994 of shooting and killing Marichell Chatman, her 4-year-old daughter Marchae, and Marichell’s aunt Linda Chatman, inside a Bucyrus Estates apartment. Marichell’s boyfriend Richard Warren and Marichell’s young cousins Quanita and Quinton Reeves were shot but survived. The 6th Circuit panel wrote that the evidence Keith presented calls into question the validity of the case against him. It also said prosecutors suppressed the evidence. The panel’s first impression is that no reasonable jury would find him guilty of the crime and that the new evidence warrants a fresh look. (You can read the full order here or at the bottom of this story.) Keith’s case will now be sent to U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver in Cleveland, who will rule on whether he should overturn the convictions and grant Keith a new trial. Keith was a suspect in part because he was caught in a drug raid where a member of the victims' family was an informant. He also fit the general description that witnesses provided, and Warren testified that Keith was the gunman. A judge sentenced Keith to death. Then-Gov. Ted Strickland commuted his sentence to life prison in 2010, 13 days before he was to be executed, because of questions raised about the way his trial was conducted. He is serving his time in the Marion Correctional Institution. Keith’s previous challenges to his case were unsuccessful. He argues that prosecutors withheld information about now-retired BCI forensic scientist G. Michele Yezzo, who testified at Keith trial’s about license plate impressions and tire tracks that authorities said linked Keith to the killings. Specifically, Keith says several BCI memos from 1989 to 1994 reveal "significant concerns about Yezzo’s mental state and professional integrity,” the 6th Circuit explained. This included a May 1989 report from an assistant BCI superintendent saying there was a consensus that Yezzo “suffers a severe mental imbalance and needs immediate assistance,” the opinion says. Yezzo was placed on leave in August 1993 after threatening to kill co-workers and had a history of making racist outbursts, the court wrote. “In fact, Yezzo was still under investigation when she testified against Keith,” the order says, adding that “Keith was unable to use any of this evidence to impeach Yezzo’s credibility and contest her forensic analysis that linked Keith to the scene of the crime.” The appeals court also said Keith presented evidence that showed Bucyrus police might have ignored his subpoena for police call logs. Specifically, he obtained the police department’s copy, and the words “ignore for now” are written and underlined towards the top of the subpoena. That evidence was at the core of the prosecutors’ case, as investigators said they first heard Keith’s name from a nurse who called police and said Warren identified Keith as the shooter. The call logs, however, do not show any calls from nurses who treated Warren, the court wrote. Cleveland attorney Jim Wooley said he’s happy Keith will have his day in court. He said his client “went from sitting on his couch to death row” in a little more than 90 days, and that the jury never heard all the information Keith now has. “I believe with every fiber of my being that he’s an innocent man,” Wooley, a former federal prosecutor, said. Crawford County Prosecutor Matthew Crall noted that the court has not said whether Keith’s claims are true. He believes they are not. Crall said to disturb Keith’s convictions would be inappropriate, as that would to discount the testimony believed by a jury. This is at least the second time Yezzo’s conduct has caused problem for a murder case. A retired Cuyahoga County judge threw out the 23-year-old murder conviction of a dying man in April 2016 and ordered a new trial after ruling that Huron County prosecutors withheld evidence of Yezzo’s on-the-job issues. The defendant, James Parsons, passed away in February 2017 at age 79."
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;
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Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Back in Action: Catch-up; Kevin Keith: Ohio; Bad news for himl His lawsuit against controverisal state medical expert G. Michele Yezzo and others in connection with her testimony in a 1994 murder trial has once again been dismissed..."When filing the motion for a new trial, Keith's attorneys said Yezzo, the state's expert, "provided the critical forensic conclusions regarding Mr. Keith" to try to link Keith to the crime scene. "That expert was known to the state — though not to Mr. Keith — as someone who will stretch the truth to satisfy a department. Since the trial, her forensic conclusions have proven faulty," they said."...((Kevin Keith is still waiting for a decision by a federal appeals court on his application for leave to challenge his convictions. HL);


STORY: "Bucyrus murderer Keith dismissed again by the courts," by reporter Zach Tuggle, published by The Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum on October 1, 2018. HL);


GIST: "A lawsuit filed by convicted murderer Kevin Keith was denied Friday by a federal court.
Kevin Keith, 54, was found guilty of three shooting deaths at Bucyrus Estates in 1994. Keith filed a civil-rights suit Jan. 8 against Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Crawford County Prosecutor's Office, Crawford County Prosecutor Matt Crall, former BCI members Daniel Cappy and John Lenhart, former Bucyrus police Chief Mike Corwin, the Bucyrus Police Department and G. Michele Yezzo, the state's expert in the May 1994 trial. That suit was filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, while the Ohio Supreme Court was still considering Keith's request for a new trial. The state's high court denied the request. Later, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Crall said it's not normal to see a lawsuit concerning civil rights from a person who is still in prison. "This case, the conviction was not overturned, so the law says that you don’t have a civil rights violation because you’re still validly convicted," Crall said. "I think they were thinking they were going to have the case overturned." Friday's decision was in favor of dismissing Keith's lawsuit, which was requested by all defendants listed in the suit. Keith alleged those defendants deliberately ignored a subpoena for police dispatch logs from February of 1994 and that the state's expert hastily testified without properly examining all evidence. The court wrote Friday that "success on his claims would not mean a mere retesting of evidence or an eventual opportunity for a new trial. It would mean that a court would first be required to making some finding that conduct from Keith's trial violated his constitutional rights. ... this court must dismiss this claim." When Keith was convicted, he was sentenced to death. In September 2010, then-Gov. Ted Strickland commuted Keith's death sentence to life without parole. Keith's case has been appealed a number of times, most recently last year. In June, an appellate court in Lima upheld his conviction. On Oct. 28, 2016, Crawford County Common Pleas Judge Sean Leuthold denied a motion for a new trial, which Keith's attorneys argued was warranted because newly discovered evidence had turned up concerning a BCI forensic analyst who testified against him. When filing the motion for a new trial, Keith's attorneys said Yezzo, the state's expert, "provided the critical forensic conclusions regarding Mr. Keith" to try to link Keith to the crime scene. "That expert was known to the state — though not to Mr. Keith —  as someone who will stretch the truth to satisfy a department. Since the trial, her forensic conclusions have proven faulty," they said. Crall said Yezzo's employers at the Ohio Attorney General's Office had already reviewed her conduct and reinstated her to work prior to her testimony in the Keith case. Although he was not the county's prosecutor at the time of that decision, Crall said he would not see a need to disclose Yezzo's prior investigation if the Keith case were to be held today. Yezzo's testimony helped connect an important part of the trial. Crall said that as he was fleeing the scene of the murders, Keith drove into a snowbank — police found where his vehicle's license plate left an imprint in the snow, from which police made a plaster casting. Yezzo did a forensic analysis of the license plate imprint, as well as the tire tracks that were discovered.
Keith is jailed at the Marion Correctional Institution. He has been in prison since June 1, 1994."

The entire story can be found at:
https://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/story/news/2018/10/01/bucyrus-murderer-keith-dismissed-again-courts/1490741002/

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;
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Sent from my iPhone

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Back in action: Catch-up; Daniel Villegas: Texas: False confession case...Found not guilty in his third trial for capital murder...Spencer said prosecutors offered Villegas a plea deal in which he would be sentenced to time served if he pleaded guilty. "Daniel didn't think about that" plea deal, Spencer said. "He has two small babies and he had an opportunity to guarantee he was going to walk home, but he said, 'I made the mistake of saying something I didn't do a long time. I am not going to do it again.' "


PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Spencer said in his closing arguments that the confessions allegedly made by Villegas were jokes and not meant to be taken seriously. He added that prosecutors had no physical evidence connecting Villegas to the shooting. “I believe from the evidence that they got nowhere near proving (their case) beyond a reasonable doubt,” Spencer told the jurors. “They are taking quantum leaps and they want to take you along for the ride.” He added, “Their whole case is fictional. It’s fictional, not fact.” Spencer also focused on the behavior of El Paso Police Department officers, who the defense attorneys suggested threatened and forced witnesses to pin the shooting on Villegas. Spencer called the actions by police “immoral” and “unethical.”

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STORY: "Daniel Villegas found not guilty in his third trial for capital murder," by reporter Aaron Martinez, published by the El Paso Times (USA Today Network) on October 6, 2018.

GIST: "Daniel Villegas was found not guilty Friday evening. The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for about nine hours — starting Thursday evening and lasting through most of the day Friday — before reaching their decision. The ruling ended a 25-year saga that included three trials and numerous appeals. “I am thankful for Daniel and his family,” Villegas’ lawyer Joe Spencer said. “I can’t even imagine what that young man and his family have been dealing with for a quarter of a century.” Villegas wept as he awaited the announcement and then collapsed to his knees when it was read. His family and supporters, who packed the courtroom, erupted in applause. After 409th District Court Judge Sam Medrano dismissed the jurors, Villegas and his family hugged and then rushed to the elevator, saying only that he was very happy and excited by the verdict. Villegas and his family then went to pray at St. Mark Catholic Church. “Thank you to all of El Paso,” Villegas said outside the East El Paso church. “Even in court when we were waiting, people were coming up to us and saying, ‘We are rooting for you.’ Even law enforcement in the courtroom, I can’t say who they are, were even saying, ‘We are rooting for you. We are rooting for you.’” He added, “I just wanted to thank all of El Paso for having my back. Thank you for being there because that helped me a lot. That helped me have strength.” Villegas and his family watched video of the verdict being read while they were outside  the church. The family laughed as the video showed Villegas letting out a loud cry after the judge read the not guilty verdict. “That was too much for me,” Villegas said about the stress of waiting for the verdict. Prosecutor James Montoya said that despite the verdict, the El Paso County District Attorney's Office maintains that Villegas is responsible for the two deaths. “We are  disappointed with the jury’s verdict, but we accept it,” Montoya said. “We believe the evidence shows that Daniel Villegas is the person who killed Bobby England and Armando Lazo. We would not have gone through this if we didn’t believe that.” He added, “There are no other suspects. There is no one else to investigate. We believe when the defendant (Villegas) confessed to his cousin, to his friend that those were truthful confessions and that he was admitting his guilt.” Prosecutors cannot appeal the acquittal. Spencer said prosecutors offered Villegas a plea deal in which he would be sentenced to time served if he pleaded guilty. "Daniel didn't think about that" plea deal, Spencer said. "He has two small babies and he had an opportunity to guarantee he was going to walk home, but he said, 'I made the mistake of saying something I didn't do a long time. I am not going to do it again.' " Villegas faced capital murder charges in the 1993 shooting deaths of two El Paso teens and had already served 18 years in prison before his conviction was overturned. "Mr. Villegas, you have been under many conditions in this court," Medrano said after the verdict was read. "You are no longer under any conditions. You are free to leave. Good luck to you, sir." Villegas' first trial, in 1994, ended in a mistrial. The next year, he was convicted by a jury of capital murder and automatically sentenced to life in prison because prosecutors had not sought the death penalty. After his 18 years in prison, the 1995 conviction was overturned by an appeals court in 2013, and a new trial was ordered. In addition to the three trials, the case has involved dozens of appeals and decisions, and it has become one of the highest-profile capital murder cases in El Paso. Villegas was 16 when Armando "Mando" Lazo and Bobby England were killed in 1993. He is now 41. The jury deliberated for more than eight hours over two days before reaching a verdict. The members had been sequestered all week." Spencer said in his closing arguments that the confessions allegedly made by Villegas were jokes and not meant to be taken seriously. He added that prosecutors had no physical evidence connecting Villegas to the shooting. “I believe from the evidence that they got nowhere near proving (their case) beyond a reasonable doubt,” Spencer told the jurors. “They are taking quantum leaps and they want to take you along for the ride.” He added, “Their whole case is fictional. It’s fictional, not fact.” Spencer also focused on the behavior of El Paso Police Department officers, who the defense attorneys suggested threatened and forced witnesses to pin the shooting on Villegas. Spencer called the actions by police “immoral” and “unethical.” Montoya and co-prosecutor Denise Butterworth said during their closing arguments that Villegas confessed several times to friends and family including his cousin David Rangel, who was a key witness in the trial. Rangel testified that he told police Villegas said he committed the crime but was only joking. He added that the details Villegas gave didn’t match evidence, including what type of weapon was used in the killings. Prosecutors alleged that Rangel changed his story due to family pressure.  “It is undisputed that Villegas told Rangel (that he was the shooter),” Montoya said. “That is uncontested. But who would say something like that?” He added, “His own words condemn him. Why would he say over and over that he did it, if he didn’t do it.”"

The entire story can be found at:



https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2018/10/05/daniel-villegas-trial-verdict-el-paso-texas-capital-murder/1533556002/

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;

Friday, October 26, 2018

Back in action: Catch-up: O'Neil Blackett: Ontario: The Smith exonerations continue - this one came on Wrongful Conviction Day almost two decades after my first Toronto Star story on the disgraced former pathologist..."On May 17, 2017 the Crown consented to the appeal and agreed that O’Neil’s guilty plea should be set aside and that his request for a new trial on a charge of manslaughter be ordered. Child death cases are extremely difficult and emotionally charged but thankfully O’Neil Blackett’s journey through the criminal justice system has come to a just conclusion without him or his family having to endure another trial. O’Neil can now move forward and pursue his dreams, aspirations and goals that for far too long didn’t seem possible."."


PUBLISHER'S NOTE: What a wonderful irony: O'Neil Blackett was finally exonerated just a few weeks ago  on October 2, 2018 - Wrongful Convictions Day. Before taking a short break from this Blog in order to handle a writing assignment, I published a note in which I gave a number of reasons as to why I continue to publish the Blog after more than ten years. One of the most important reasons I gave was that there the  Charles Smith story is not yet fully told - there  are several important Smith cases heading to the Ontario Court of Appeal which could well lead to exonerations. Indeed, O'Neil Blackett's exoneration comes almost two decades after my first Toronto Star article on Charles Smith. Blackett O’Neil is the 22nd person whose name Innocence Canada (formerly known as AIDWYC) has helped clear.  Bravo!

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

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PASSAGE OF THE DAY:  "O’Neil was tragically another victim of the now disgraced former paediatric pathologist Charles Smith. O’Neil Blackett’s nightmare began on February 10, 1999 when he was arrested for the murder of his friend’s daughter, 13-month-old Tamara who had passed away two days earlier while he was babysitting her. Tamara had intestinal and breathing problems and had been vomiting and losing weight prior to her death. Charles Smith, revered at the time as the foremost expert on child deaths, conducted the autopsy and concluded that Tamara had not died of natural causes but had died due to strangulation or blunt force. O’Neil cooperated with authorities and consistently maintained that he had not caused Tamara’s death. However, after the testimony of Smith at his preliminary hearing, O’Neil accepted a manslaughter plea for fear of being convicted of murder. O’Neil had already served 15 months in pre-trial custody by the time he entered the plea in August 2001."

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COMMENTARY:  "O'Neil Blackett" published  on its web page by Innocence Canada, on October 2, 2018.

GIST: "On October 2, 2018 - the 5th Anniversary of International Wrongful Conviction Day - Innocence Canada client O’Neil Blackett had his name cleared after a long painful 17-year wait.
On a cloudy, rainy Tuesday O’Neil entered a courtroom at 361 University Avenue in Toronto with his lawyer, Innocence Canada co-founder James Lockyer. Many of O’Neil’s close friends were present to hear the announcement that the charges against O’Neil had been withdrawn. O’Neil is the 22nd person whose name Innocence Canada has helped clear. O’Neil was tragically another victim of the now disgraced former paediatric pathologist Charles Smith. O’Neil Blackett’s nightmare began on February 10, 1999 when he was arrested for the murder of his friend’s daughter, 13-month-old Tamara who had passed away two days earlier while he was babysitting her. Tamara had intestinal and breathing problems and had been vomiting and losing weight prior to her death. Charles Smith, revered at the time as the foremost expert on child deaths, conducted the autopsy and concluded that Tamara had not died of natural causes but had died due to strangulation or blunt force. O’Neil cooperated with authorities and consistently maintained that he had not caused Tamara’s death. However, after the testimony of Smith at his preliminary hearing, O’Neil accepted a manslaughter plea for fear of being convicted of murder. O’Neil had already served 15 months in pre-trial custody by the time he entered the plea in August 2001. He was sentenced to a further three years and three months. O’Neil did not appeal. After being released in October 2003 on mandatory supervision, O’Neil found life very difficult in general, especially when looking for employment. In 2005 the newly appointed Chief Coroner for Ontario Dr. Barry McLellan initiated a review known as the Chief Coroner’s Review that examined the work of Smith, in criminally suspicious deaths of children during the 1990’s. There had been expressions of concern about Smith’s professional competence in cases of sudden, unexpected deaths of children dating back as far as 1991. Dr. Christopher Milroy, then the Chief Forensic Pathologist of the Department of Forensic Pathology and Legal Medicine in the United Kingdom was retained by the Office of the Chief Coroner to review Tamara’s case. Dr. Milroy criticized and rejected Smith’s conclusion concerning the cause of Tamara’s death. He felt pathology could not provide a cause of death and that it should be classified as “unascertained”. On September 15, 2009 Mr. Justice Rosenberg of the Ontario Court of Appeal granted O’Neil’s application for an extension of time to file an appeal of his conviction. James Lockyer filed a notice of appeal on behalf of O’Neil requesting that the guilty plea be set aside, and a new trial ordered on the charge of manslaughter. Dr. Milroy provided a further opinion and Dr. Michael Shkrum, a Forensic Pathologist at the University Hospital of London, Ontario also provided an opinion. Their reports were received in February and April of 2013. On May 17, 2017 the Crown consented to the appeal and agreed that O’Neil’s guilty plea should be set aside and that his request for a new trial on a charge of manslaughter be ordered. Child death cases are extremely difficult and emotionally charged but thankfully O’Neil Blackett’s journey through the criminal justice system has come to a just conclusion without him or his family having to endure another trial. O’Neil can now move forward and pursue his dreams, aspirations and goals that for far too long didn’t seem possible."

The entire commentary can be found at:
http://innocencecanada.com/exonerations/oneil-blackett/

See Toronto Star investigative reporter Rachel Mendleson's story on the Blackett exoneration, published by The Toronto Star on October 2, 2018, under the heading: "What happened to O’Neil Blackett is a ‘tragedy,’ judge says in wrongful conviction case," at the link below; "Seventeen years after he was convicted of killing a 13-month-old girl, O’Neil Blackett’s battle to clear his name ended where it began. On Tuesday morning, Blackett stood before a judge in a wood-panelled courtroom at 361 University Ave., the same Toronto courthouse where he was convicted in 2001, based largely on evidence from disgraced Sick Kids pathologist Charles Smith. The 42-year-old clasped his hands behind his back and held his head high. “I woke up this morning, I was refreshed. I knew what was to come,” he said in an interview after the hearing. “I waited so long.” Earlier this year, the Court of Appeal set aside Blackett’s manslaughter conviction and ordered a new trial based on fresh expert evidence that sharply criticized Smith’s opinions. Following a review of the case by the attorney general, the ministry concluded there was “no reasonable prospect of conviction,” Crown lawyer Dimitra Tsagaris told the court on Tuesday. The charge against Blackett was withdrawn. Justice John McMahon called Blackett’s ordeal “a tragedy.” His victory is the latest development in the continuing effort of the justice system to undo the damage caused by the flawed opinions of Smith, who was once revered as the province’s top expert in cases where children died in unusual circumstances. A decade after a public inquiry exposed oversight gaps in Ontario’s pediatric forensic pathology system that allowed Smith to rise to prominence despite his lack of training and objectivity, some parents who say they were wrongly blamed in the deaths of their children are still fighting to clear their names. Smith could not be reached for comment. A complication in many wrongful conviction cases involving Smith’s testimony — including Blackett’s — is that the accused pleaded guilty. Blackett was looking after Tamara Thomas the day she died in February 1999. When her mother returned from running errands she found the girl lying in her playpen, lifeless and cold to the touch. Blackett was performing CPR on the child when police arrived. He was “distraught and confused,” and denied causing harm, the appeal court ruling states. (At the time, Blackett believed Tamara was his daughter, but says in an affidavit he subsequently learned he was not her father.) Tamara had a history of intestinal and breathing problems, and had recently been vomiting and losing weight. That afternoon, Blackett had left her in her playpen with a bottle of chocolate milk. When she died, Tamara was wearing a cumbersome cast to repair a broken right femur. The injury happened a month earlier, while she was in Blackett’s care. He told the paramedics the child’s leg got caught in the wooden spindles of her crib. Police concluded that the crib was unsafe and deemed the injury accidental. Blackett was described by a first responder as an anxious parent who showed concern, and cooperated with a subsequent investigation by children’s aid, the ruling said. Blackett told police that since being in the cast, “there was a problem with her lying on her back, because she used to throw up whatever we gave her.” Smith dismissed the possibility that Tamara had choked on her vomit, or died in any other accidental way. In his opinion, she had succumbed to a “mechanical type of asphyxia” due to strangulation or blunt force. He also claimed to have found several additional fractures. Blackett was charged with second-degree murder. Smith testified at the preliminary inquiry, in November 1999. The trial was set for April 2001. By then, concerns about Smith’s work had begun to emerge. The Crown sought the opinion of another expert, who was largely supportive of Smith’s opinion but warned that unless there was some other evidence to support the Crown’s theory “there will always be doubt as to whether this is the actual cause of death.” A second pathologist, retained by the defence, disputed Smith’s findings. In August 2001, Blackett reached a deal with the Crown. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to three years and three months in jail, in addition to 15 months of pretrial custody. In an agreed statement of facts, Blackett stated that he had become frustrated while feeding Tamara, and forced the bottle violently into her mouth, causing her to choke and vomit, and had “then left her either unconscious or entering unconsciousness, unable to breathe, and she died.” In his affidavit filed last year in support of his appeal, Blackett said “those facts were not true.” He worried the jury would believe Smith over him because he had a criminal record, and he would receive a life sentence. “Dr. Smith’s evidence ... preyed on my mind,” Blackett said. “I felt trapped by my situation. I decided to plead guilty.” Blackett’s trial lawyer, Stephen Bernstein, said in an affidavit that his client “had always maintained that he did not know why Tamara died, and insisted that he had done nothing to cause her death.” Bernstein said that he told Blackett that “he should not plead guilty to something that he did not do,” but “that there was a ‘real chance’ he would be convicted of murder if he went to trial.” The Court of Appeal set aside Blackett's conviction after four additional forensic pathologists rejected Smith's conclusions. They said it could be natural causes but found it was impossible to say how Tamara died. On Tuesday, Justice McMahon said he was sympathetic to Blackett’s position, and urged vigilance in these types of cases. “As lawyers and judges, we can’t allow people to plead guilty to things they didn’t do, but I understand why it happens” when the accused is faced with a contradictory expert opinion, he said. Blackett, who was released on mandatory supervision in October 2003, was accompanied in court by a half-dozen supporters from Innocence Canada and the group’s founding director, James Lockyer — his lawyer. Outside the courtroom, he embraced Lockyer, who has helped clear the names of nine parents and caregivers wrongly blamed due to Smith’s flawed opinions. In seven of those cases, the accused pleaded guilty, Lockyer said. Blackett said the nature of his conviction has made it difficult to find work. He said he hopes to start his own business managing musicians. “This day is a new turning point for me ... I can basically start over.” he said. “It’s raining outside, but it’s tears of joy.”"


https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2018/10/02/what-happened-to-oneil-blackett-is-a-tragedy-judge-says-in-wrongful-conviction-case.html

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;