Anna Vasquez: Texas: (One of the 'San Antonio Four'): Lovely news": She has been appointed to the Houston Forensics Board to help fight Injustice. The San Antonio Current (reporter Kelly Merka Nelson) reports..."Since her release from prison, wrongfully convicted member of the "San Antonio Four" Anna Vasquez has dedicated her life to preventing injustices akin to what she suffered, most notably serving as the director of outreach for the Innocence Project of Texas. As of Wednesday, she will now be able to further her cause as a representative on the board of the Houston Forensics Science Center, which has a history of granting a seat to a wrongfully convicted individual. Vasquez's appointment follows the tenure of Anthony Graves, who was exonerated of murder after spending 18 years in prison."

PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "In her position on the board, Vasquez will help to oversee Houston forensic scientists, providing a valuable perspective on the consequences of flawed evidence analysis and confirmation bias.  Cassandra Rivera) were convicted of the sexual assault of two underage girls in the mid-90s, partly based on expert testimony from a pediatrician that alleged that scarring to one of the girls' hymens was caused by abuse. This evidence was later determined to be inaccurate."

STORY: "One of the 'San Antonio Four' Women Has Been Appointed to Houston Forensics Board to Help Fight Injustice,"by reporter Kelly Merka Nelson, published by 'San Antonio Current' on June 6, 2019.

GIST: "Since her release from prison, wrongfully convicted member of the "San Antonio Four" Anna Vasquez has dedicated her life to preventing injustices akin to what she suffered, most notably serving as the director of outreach for the Innocence Project of Texas.  As of Wednesday, she will now be able to further her cause as a representative on the board of the Houston Forensics Science Center, which has a history of granting a seat to a wrongfully convicted individual. Vasquez's appointment follows the tenure of Anthony Graves, who was exonerated of murder after spending 18 years in prison. In her position on the board, Vasquez will help to oversee Houston forensic scientists, providing a valuable perspective on the consequences of flawed evidence analysis and confirmation bias.  Cassandra Rivera) were convicted of the sexual assault of two underage girls in the mid-90s, partly based on expert testimony from a pediatrician that alleged that scarring to one of the girls' hymens was caused by abuse. This evidence was later determined to be inaccurate. Vasquez was released on parole in 2012 after serving 13 years in prison, and in 2013 all four of the women's convictions were vacated and Ramirez, Mayhugh and Rivera were released. Their records were expunged in 2016. Filmmaker Deborah Esquenazi profiled Vasquez, Ramirez, Mayhugh and Rivera in the 2016 documentary Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four, which was recently released on Hulu."

The entire story can be read at:
https://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2019/06/06/one-of-the-san-antonio-four-women-has-been-appointed-to-houston-forensics-board-to-help-fight-injustice

Read Wikipedia entry on  Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four  the link below:  "In the summer of 1994, Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez were accused of sexually assaulting the seven and nine year-old nieces of Elizabeth Ramirez in San Antonio, Texas.^[5] The four openly gay women were charged after a week-long visit from the nieces at Ramirez's apartment.^[6] The 19 and 20 year-olds were indicted in an environment of ubiquitous homophobia and the idea that homosexuals are naturally prone to sexually abusing children.^[7] The incident was speculated to be "satanic-related" and had no accurate forensic evidence to support it. All were sentenced to 15 years in prison with the exception of 22 year old Ramirez, the supposed "ringleader," who received a 37.5 year sentence. At the time, Ramirez was pregnant and was forced to give up her newborn baby several days after the start of her sentence.^[7] Anna and Cassandra were also partners in the midst of raising two children. The film showcases the innocent women's fight for innocence and persistence throughout their nearly 15 years in prison. In 2012, one of the nieces admitted to having been pressured by her father, Javier Limon, to make the false accusations. Limon, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, had previously attempted to pursue Ramirez romantically, but his efforts were rejected.^[8] In 2013, a new law was introduced to Texas allowing individuals to challenge their convictions if there is new or changed scientific evidence.^[6][7] In Southwest of Salem Esquenazi follows the pivotal court hearing during which the women challenged their convictions, as well as the hearings that followed. Anna Vasquez was given parole in 2012 while the others were released on bail in 2013 with the assistance of the Innocence Project of Texas.^"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_of_Salem:_The_Story_of_the_San_Antonio_Four

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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