Thursday, June 23, 2022

The West Memphis Three: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jesse Misskelley. Arkansas: Bulletin: Hearing today, as the three head to court for the right to test DNA evidence using new technology that wasn't around during the trial, THV11 reports..."We've been fighting for two years to get the approval," said Lonnie Soury, a member of Echols' defense team. In 2020, Damien Echols' legal team worked to get evidence from the murders of three West Memphis boys. That evidence, which was previously thought to have been destroyed was intact. So they pushed to have DNA analyzed while using a new technology that wasn't around during the time of the trial. "Specifically the ligatures that were used, ligatures of the ropes, that were used to bound the three children," said Soury."

WORDS TO HEED: FROM OUR POST ON KEVIN COOPER'S  APPLICATION FOR POST-CONVICTION DNA TESTING; CALIFORNIA: (Applicable wherever a state resists DNA testing): "Blogger/extraordinaire Jeff Gamso's blunt, unequivocal, unforgettable message to the powers that be in California: "JUST TEST THE FUCKING DNA." (Oh yes, Gamso raises, as he does in many of his posts, an important philosophical question: This post is headed: "What is truth, said jesting Pilate."...Says Gamso: "So what's the harm? What, exactly, are they scared of? Don't we want the truth?") 


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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "The legal team thought that doing the DNA testing wouldn't be an issue, since it could potentially prove the innocence of the accused, but earlier this year, Crittenden County Prosecutor Keith Chrestman, refused to cooperate with the DNA testing. "He basically said, 'I'm denying you the right to test the evidence. Go to court,'" said Soury."


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STORY: "West Memphis Three headed to court for the right to test DNA evidence," by Reporter Ashley Godwin, published by THV11 on June 22, 2022.

SUB-HEADING: "Evidence, previously thought to have been destroyed was intact, and they pushed to have DNA analyzed using new technology that wasn't around during the trial.
GIST: "The West Memphis Three are back in court on Thursday;

It's been a long battle to try and get newly discovered evidence DNA tested and now we could finally see some answers.


Damien Echols and his legal team will be in court to request a new type of DNA testing for evidence.


"We've been fighting for two years to get the approval," said Lonnie Soury, a member of Echols' defense team.


In 2020, Damien Echols' legal team worked to get evidence from the murders of three West Memphis boys.


That evidence, which was previously thought to have been destroyed was intact.


 So they pushed to have DNA analyzed while using a new technology that wasn't around during the time of the trial.


"Specifically the ligatures that were used, ligatures of the ropes, that were used to bound the three children," said Soury.


The legal team thought that doing the DNA testing wouldn't be an issue, since it could potentially prove the innocence of the accused, but earlier this year, Crittenden County Prosecutor Keith Chrestman, refused to cooperate with the DNA testing.


"He basically said, 'I'm denying you the right to test the evidence. Go to court,'" said Soury.


The court hearing will be held on Thursday at the Crittenden County District Court in West Memphis.


"The criminals are out there, the families of the victims have been misled, and of course the families of those who have been incarcerated have suffered," Soury said.


Echols's legal team is hopeful they will get the answers they've searched for, and that they will find justice for the families of the three murdered boys.


THV11 will be at the hearing and update this article with the latest information."


The entire story can be read at: 

.https://www.thv11.com/article/news/crime/west-memphis-three-head-to-court/91-70f49f20-8312-47fa-b3ba-2f494be2d54d


THV11 will be at the hearing and update this article with the latest information;

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;


SEE BREAKDOWN OF  SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG,  AT THE LINK BELOW:  HL:



FINAL WORD:  (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases):  "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;

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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions.   They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;

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;


SEE BREAKDOWN OF  SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG,  AT THE LINK BELOW:  HL:



FINAL WORD:  (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases):  "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;

—————————————————————————————————

FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions.   They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
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