BACKGROUND: "Judges on France’s top appeals court have decided to reopen the case after Mr. Raddad’s lawyers presented new DNA evidence that they say exonerates him in the 1991 killing of his employer, Ghislaine Marchal, in her villa on the Côte d’Azur in southern France — a killing made famous by a grammatical mistake, the New York Times (Reporter Norimitsu Onishi) reports. (December 16, 2021)... The court ordered an inquiry into an analysis of the new DNA evidence, according to the court’s three-page ruling. It is the first step in what Mr. Raddad’s supporters hope will be a rehearing of his initial trial, 27 years after his conviction."
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QUOTE OF THE DAY: "This new hearing date, announced by the lawyer for the former gardener, was confirmed to AFP by a judicial source. she seizes the Court, which will have the last word on the organization of a new trial, an extremely rare event in France. “It’s really the last chance for Omar Raddad,” his lawyer, Me Sylvie Noachovitch, told AFP before the hearing."
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STORY: "A new hearing on September 15," Moroccan News reports. (May 19, 2022.);
GIST: "The defense of Omar Raddad presented Thursday during a closed hearing new elements in favor of his request for review, twenty-eight years after his conviction for the murder of Ghislaine Marchal, and a new stage is scheduled for 15 september.
This new hearing date, announced by the lawyer for the former gardener, was confirmed to AFP by a judicial source. she seizes the Court, which will have the last word on the organization of a new trial, an extremely rare event in France.
“It’s really the last chance for Omar Raddad,” his lawyer, Me Sylvie Noachovitch, told AFP before the hearing.
The former gardener was convicted in 1994 for the murder of Ghislaine Marchal. This rich widow of an automotive supplier was found on June 23, 1991 bathing in her blood, in the cellar of her property in Mougins (Alpes-Maritimes).
Incriminated by the inscription “Omar killed me”, the ex-gardener has always claimed his innocence. He had received a partial pardon in 1996, which does not cancel his conviction.
In one of the most famous French criminal cases, the investigative commission of the Court of Revision had ordered additional information on December 16.
In particular, she wanted to analyze the conclusions of a genetic expert who studied four DNA fingerprints found on two doors and a chevron of the crime scene, and which do not correspond to the genetic profile of the ex-gardener.
It was on these two doors that the inscriptions “Omar killed me”, emblematic of this affair, and “Omar killed me”, were written with the blood of the victim.
In notes from 2019 and 2020, the genetics expert had noted the presence of 35 traces of an unknown male DNA on the inscription “Omar m’a t” and concluded in favor of the hypothesis of a deposit of these fingerprints at the time of the events and not of subsequent “pollution”, in particular by the investigators.
On Thursday, Omar Raddad’s defense presented new arguments justifying, in its view, a referral to the Court of Revision.
His lawyer indicated that he had notably presented elements from a “secret investigation” by the gendarmerie between 2002 and 2004, revealed in a book published in March, “Ministry of injustice” by Jean-Michel Décugis, Pauline Guéna and Marc The dive.
“The investigators who made this file will be heard” before September 15, assured Me Noachovitch to the press.
A first request for review filed by Omar Raddad was rejected in 2002."
Te entire story can be read at:
https://moroccosite.com/a-new-hearing-on-september-15-h24info/
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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;
