LaVone Hill: Michigan: Major (Welcome) Development: (from our 'Enough to make one weep' Department); A judge has vacated this client of the Michigan Innocence Clinic's double murder conviction and sentence - relief he has been seeking for more than 22-years - in a case which reeks of police misconduct and corruption in the Detroit Police Department. (Namely, Sergeant Walter Bates…Michigan Innocence Clinic Co-Director Jenna Cobb said, “We thank the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit for recognizing this awful injustice and agreeing to release Mr. Hill after more than 22 years of wrongful incarceration for a murder that he did not commit. “This is a remarkable case involving a recanting witness, extreme instances of witness coercion by police, other witnesses who later confirmed that Mr. Hill was not present on the night of the shooting, and an apology from the true perpetrator."

TWITTER:  EvidenceProf (@Colin Miller) posted: Co-Director Jenna Cobb said, "This is a remarkable case involving a recanting witness, extreme instances of witness coercion by police, other witnesses who later confirmed that Mr. Hill was not present on the night of the shooting, and an apology from the true perpetrator."

 https://x.com/evidenceprof/status/1849199172152361093?s=51&t=LWGi0OBBxYI7xwG6SzAbEQ

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “For almost 23 years, I’ve had to live with the reality of the nightmare that I may die in prison, an innocent man, based on misconduct and corruption in the Detroit Police Department, namely Sergeant Walter Bates,” Hill said.

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PASSAGE ONE OF THE DAY: "On September 8, 2001, two people were shot and killed following a dice game in Detroit.  A few nights later, police picked up a supposed witness to the shooting on unrelated drug charges. The witness—who could neither read nor write proficiently—was detained for seven days, during which Sergeant Walter Bates of the Detroit Police Department wrote a false statement for him to sign. The false statement said that the witness saw Hill shoot the victims with a handgun while walking down the street. No other witness ever implicated LaVone Hill in the crime. During the 2002 trial, the witness recanted his false statement implicating Hill. He testified that Hill had not been present on the night of the shooting and that Bates had coerced his false statement. Bates testified that he had not."

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PASSAGE TWO OF THE DAY: "New evidence also showed that Bates was suspended from the police force multiple times during Hill’s case—including while he testified in the case, a fact that was not disclosed to either the defense or the jury at the time of trial. Moreover, Bates, who had amassed significant gambling debt, was using his experience in the Detroit Police Department to mastermind a string of bank robberies while this case was pending. Bates was later convicted of bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery."

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PASSAGE THREE OF THE DAY: "The decision to vacate Hill’s convictions comes after the discovery of several pieces of new evidence by Hill’s attorneys at the Michigan Innocence Clinic, including:

• Two independent witnesses who had been present the night of the shooting swore that Hill had not been present at the dice game where the shooting took place.
• New ballistics evidence confirmed that a high-powered rifle was used in the killings rather than a handgun, as stated in the prior witness’s recanted statement.
• The son of one of the victims of the crime said that another man had confessed to killing his father.

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STORY: "Innocence Clinic Helps Exonerate Man More Than 22 Years After Wrongful Murder Conviction," published by The Michigan  Innocence Clinic, on October 23, 2024.

A judge has vacated the double murder conviction and sentence of Michigan Innocence Clinic (MIC) client LaVone Hill, providing him the relief he has been seeking for more than 22 years.

Hill was convicted in 2002—in part due to the police corruption—of two murders he did not commit.

 Wayne County Judge Patricia Fresard dismissed the charges on October 23 following an investigation by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Conviction Integrity Unit.

The prosecutor’s office has said that it will not retry Hill.

“For almost 23 years, I’ve had to live with the reality of the nightmare that I may die in prison, an innocent man, based on misconduct and corruption in the Detroit Police Department, namely Sergeant Walter Bates,” Hill said. 

“I am happy today to be a free man, but so sad for all of the innocent men I am leaving in prison behind me. I am also very sad that the families of the victims lost their loved ones and were lied to about me being the guy who killed them.”

Hill is the 44th wrongfully convicted person who has been freed by the work of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, housed at the University of Michigan Law School.

Michigan Innocence Clinic Co-Director Jenna Cobb said, “We thank the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit for recognizing this awful injustice and agreeing to release Mr. Hill after more than 22 years of wrongful incarceration for a murder that he did not commit. 

“This is a remarkable case involving a recanting witness, extreme instances of witness coercion by police, other witnesses who later confirmed that Mr. Hill was not present on the night of the shooting, and an apology from the true perpetrator. While Mr. Hill will never get back the many years he lost in prison, today we join Mr. Hill in celebrating his release and looking forward to the impact he will make outside of prison walls.”

A false statement and a life sentence

On September 8, 2001, two people were shot and killed following a dice game in Detroit. 

A few nights later, police picked up a supposed witness to the shooting on unrelated drug charges. The witness—who could neither read nor write proficiently—was detained for seven days, during which Sergeant Walter Bates of the Detroit Police Department wrote a false statement for him to sign. The false statement said that the witness saw Hill shoot the victims with a handgun while walking down the street.

No other witness ever implicated LaVone Hill in the crime.

During the 2002 trial, the witness recanted his false statement implicating Hill. He testified that Hill had not been present on the night of the shooting and that Bates had coerced his false statement. Bates testified that he had not. 

On September 6, 2002, Hill was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

New evidence led to vacated decision

The decision to vacate Hill’s convictions comes after the discovery of several pieces of new evidence by Hill’s attorneys at the Michigan Innocence Clinic, including:

• Two independent witnesses who had been present the night of the shooting swore that Hill had not been present at the dice game where the shooting took place.
• New ballistics evidence confirmed that a high-powered rifle was used in the killings rather than a handgun, as stated in the prior witness’s recanted statement.
• The son of one of the victims of the crime said that another man had confessed to killing his father.

New evidence also showed that Bates was suspended from the police force multiple times during Hill’s case—including while he testified in the case, a fact that was not disclosed to either the defense or the jury at the time of trial.

Moreover, Bates, who had amassed significant gambling debt, was using his experience in the Detroit Police Department to mastermind a string of bank robberies while this case was pending. Bates was later convicted of bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery.

Wednesday’s proceeding resulted in Hill’s immediate release from state custody in Muskegon, where his family, friends, and MIC advocates excitedly greeted him.

The Michigan Innocence Clinic is the first non-DNA innocence clinic in the country. In its 15-year history, the MIC has achieved 44 victories on behalf of its wrongfully convicted clients. MIC exonerees have served anywhere from a few months to 46 years in prison."

The entire release can be read at: 

https://michigan.law.umich.edu/news/innocence-clinic-helps-exonerate-man-more-22-years-after-wrongful-murder-conviction

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. 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:
  
  
  https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985
  
  ———————————————————————————————
  
  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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Toronto Police InspectorJoyce Schertzer: Question of the day: Should the high ranking Toronto Police Inspector who was found by a police discipline tribune to have interfered with the probe into nephew’s car crash, be demoted, as the police prosecutor argues - or, as her lawyer seeks, should her client be reprimanded or give up five days pay? Crime Reporter Wendy Gillis: The Toronto Star…"Police prosecutor Scott Hutchison said Insp. Joyce Schertzer should be knocked down to the lower rank of staff sergeant for a year after she was found guilty of being in a “clear conflict of interest” for rushing to the aid of a family member who’d caused a collision, interfering with the police probe. Schertzer’s hearing is a case study showing why there are clear prohibitions against conflicts of interest, Hutchison said, and an example must be made of senior cops who are supposed to be “a moral and legal example” to junior officers. “It is hugely tempting to want to rush to the aid of a family member who has been drawn into a police investigation,” Hutchison said, noting a slap on the wrist in this case would send the wrong message. "

PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "But Joanne Mulcahy, Schertzer’s lawyer, said the incident was a one-off mistake for her client — one that took place within the span of about 34 minutes — and was an aberration in an otherwise sterling 35-year career. She argued instead for a penalty in the range of a formal reprimand to the forfeiture of five days’ pay, about $3,200.  “This conduct does not define the supervisor she is,” Mulcahy said, calling the prosecutor’s suggested demotion “harsh and extreme.”

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PASSAGE TWO OF THE DAY: "Schertzer is among a group of senior officers who have become embroiled in high-profile discipline cases. Weeks after Schertzer was found guilty, Toronto police Supt. Stacy Clarke — who admitted to helping six officers cheat during a promotional process — received a penalty of a two-year demotion to inspector, which she is now appealing. Last year, Supt. Riyaz Hussein was demoted for one year to inspector after he was convicted of impaired driving following a collision in a police-issued vehicle."

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 STORY: "A profound error in judgment’: Toronto inspector who interfered with probe into nephew’s crash should be demoted, prosecutor argues,"  by Crime Reporter Wendy Gillis, published by The Toronto Star, on October 28, 2024. (Wendy Gillis is a Toronto-based reporter covering crime and policing for the Star.)

SUB-HEADING: "Lawyer for Toronto police Insp. Joyce Schertzer said her client should be reprimanded or give up five days’ pay."

PHOTO CAPTION: "Insp. Joyce Schertzer is seen in police body camera footage at the scene of her nephew’s collision. On Monday, a police prosecutor said she should be knocked down to a lower rank."

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GIST: A high-ranking Toronto cop who meddled in the police investigation involving her nephew should face a penalty with a “real sting,” a police prosecutor argued Monday, saying the sentence must signal to other cops that mixing business with family affairs cannot be tolerated. 

Police prosecutor Scott Hutchison said Insp. Joyce Schertzer should be knocked down to the lower rank of staff sergeant for a year after she was found guilty of being in a “clear conflict of interest” for rushing to the aid of a family member who’d caused a collision, interfering with the police probe. 

Schertzer’s hearing is a case study showing why there are clear prohibitions against conflicts of interest, Hutchison said, and an example must be made of senior cops who are supposed to be “a moral and legal example” to junior officers. 

“It is hugely tempting to want to rush to the aid of a family member who has been drawn into a police investigation,” Hutchison said, noting a slap on the wrist in this case would send the wrong message. 

But Joanne Mulcahy, Schertzer’s lawyer, said the incident was a one-off mistake for her client — one that took place within the span of about 34 minutes — and was an aberration in an otherwise sterling 35-year career. She argued instead for a penalty in the range of a formal reprimand to the forfeiture of five days’ pay, about $3,200. 

“This conduct does not define the supervisor she is,” Mulcahy said, calling the prosecutor’s suggested demotion “harsh and extreme.”

Schertzer was found guilty in August of two counts of professional misconduct for inserting herself into a May 2022 collision investigation involving her nephew. In what the tribunal adjudicator called an obvious conflict of interest, Schertzer — then the most senior officer of a west-end police division — personally dispatched a subordinate to the scene then drove there herself, setting off a chain of events that “influenced the course of (the) investigation.”

‘Clear conflict of interest’: Toronto police inspector guilty of professional misconduct following nephew’s crash

That included staying on scene while one of her own reports conducted a “perfunctory” investigation into why Schertzer’s nephew, Calvin, crashed his truck into a light pole on Lake Shore Boulevard West — a “lacklustre” probe by an officer “placed in an untenable position” because his boss was lingering nearby. Calvin was let go with no charges minutes later, robbing Toronto police’s Traffic Services, the unit that investigates collisions, of the opportunity to administer a breathalyzer test.

“I find a fully informed citizen would be shocked when considering the actions and inactions of Inspector Schertzer,” retired OPP Supt. Lisa Taylor, who presided over the hearing, wrote in her decision released this summer. 

Stressing her client’s decades’ long service with the force, Mulcahy spent much of the morning reading letters of support written by police officers of all ranks, including former Toronto chiefs James Ramer and Mark Saunders, attesting to Schertzer’s character and work ethic. Mulcahy, a go-to lawyer for cops at the tribunal, said she could not recall ever having so many letters from so many ranks. 

“When you go through these, you will see they speak to a truly impressive officer who made a mistake on May 1, 2022, but who has done so much” for the Toronto police, Mulcahy said.  

That included accolades for how Schertzer, who became a recognizable face as a homicide investigator, handled what one retired senior officer called the “significant and highly sensitive investigation into a prominent City of Toronto civic member” — that is, the force’s probe into late Toronto Mayor Rob Ford amid admissions he’d smoked crack cocaine. 

“It was here that I saw her display the highest standards of ethics and professionalism,” former Toronto police deputy chief Mike Federico wrote of Schertzer, who had overseen the probe. 

But Hutchison warned Taylor she must take Schertzer’s career success “with a grain of salt,” noting that by virtue of being a senior officer she would necessarily have an impressive resume.

Her senior position was why she needed to face a severe penalty, as these officers are expected to be exemplary, he said.

The prosecutor also pushed back on Mulcahy’s characterization of her client’s behaviour as a fleeting error, noting that Schertzer has since failed to acknowledge she was in a conflict of interest or indicate that she would do things differently next time.  

“It was more than just a bad day,” Hutchison said. “It was a profound error in judgment.”

Getting the last word Monday, Schertzer did signal remorse and gave brief closing remarks at the tribunal, her voice quivering with emotion. 

“I do regret this, and I do have remorse. And there isn’t one day that hasn’t gone by in the last two and a half years where I didn’t wish I had a rewind button,” she said. 

Schertzer is among a group of senior officers who have become embroiled in high-profile discipline cases. 

Weeks after Schertzer was found guilty, Toronto police Supt. Stacy Clarke — who admitted to helping six officers cheat during a promotional process — received a penalty of a two-year demotion to inspector, which she is now appealing.

 Last year, Supt. Riyaz Hussein was demoted for one year to inspector after he was convicted of impaired driving following a collision in a police-issued vehicle. 

No date was set for the release of Taylor’s decision on the penalty. The hearing officer said she would decide “as soon as I can.""

The entire story can be read at:

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/a-profound-error-in-judgment-toronto-inspector-who-interfered-with-probe-into-nephews-crash-should/article_9d8eaef6-952f-11ef-8931-b3c73c815c18.html?source=newsletter&utm_content=a01&utm_source=ts_sa&utm_medium=email&utm_email=B06CE11218FAE36A81180C431CF6E0DA&utm_campaign=police_4569

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. 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:
  
  
  https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985
  
  ———————————————————————————————
  
  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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DNA evidence in Innocence cases: (A call for more Constitution-based post-conviction DNA testing in death penalty cases - and a 'myth' ' exposed by The 'Death Penalty Information Center' (Data Fellow Lukas Niparko) at a time when death-sentenced prisoners with credible evidence of innocence have gained significant attention this month with the execution of Marcellus Williams in Missouri, the near-execution of Robert Roberson in Texas, and the U.S. Supreme Court arguments in Glossip v. Oklahoma:…"There is a common misconception that DNA evidence is widely available in all cases and central to exonerations, but the reality is that DNA exonerations in death penalty cases are relatively rare. DPI has identified 34 cases across 15 US states in the modern death penalty era of people who have been exonerated from death row with DNA evidence—with the first case being Kirk Bloodsworth in 1993 (he was convicted in 1985). These numbers represent just 17% of the 200 death row exonerations."…"

PUBLISHER'S  NOTE: 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?") 

https://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2018/06/kevin-cooper-2-california-application.html

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PASSAGE OF THE DAY:  "The Innocence Project reports  375 DNA exonerations in criminal cases between 1989 and 2020. Before 2000, only a handful of states allowed post-conviction DNA testing. That changed in 2004 with the passage of the Justice for All Act. In her 2020 article, Chi-Hsin Engelhart argues that post-conviction DNA testing is a procedural due process right that should be constitutionally protected. She notes this protection is especially important in the context of death row to explore the potential of wrongful execution, concluding that a denial of access and testing could lead to a violation of the Eighth Amendment.  Ms. Engelhart argues that courts should shift their emphasis from finality to accuracy in the legal system , and that allowing for DNA testing in post-conviction proceedings would advance this goal."

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PASSAGE TWO  OF THE DAY: "The case of Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams, who was executed on September 24, 2024, illustrates that even when DNA evidence can be obtained from the crime scene, forensic materials may degrade or become contaminated, rendering them unusable for proving a defendant’s innocence. 

 Robert DuBoise was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death in Florida in 1983 based on faulty forensics, including the since-debunked practice of bite mark matching.  DNA testing ultimately exonerated him in 2020 and in February 2024, Mr. DuBoise received $14 million compensation for his wrongful conviction.   As scientific and technological progress continues, many prisoners may benefit from these advancements.  However, many legal procedural barriers continue to block prisoners from accessing DNA evidence that has the potential to exonerate them."

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ENTRY: The Limitations of DNA Evidence in Innocence Cases, by  Data FellowLukas Niparko and  The Delta Penalty Information Center, on October 23, 2024.

GIST: "Death-sentenced prisoners with credible evidence of innocence have gained significant attention this month with the execution of Marcellus Williams in Missouri, the near-execution of Robert Roberson in Texas, and the U.S. Supreme Court arguments in Glossip v. Oklahoma. There is a common misconception that DNA evidence is widely available in all cases and central to exonerations, but the reality is that DNA exonerations in death penalty cases are relatively rare."

DPI has identified 34 cases across 15 US states in the modern death penalty era of people who have been exonerated from death row with DNA evidence—with the first case being Kirk Bloodsworth in 1993 (he was convicted in 1985). 

These numbers represent just 17% of the 200 death row exonerations. 

The average time spent on death row by people exonerated thanks to DNA is 18.6 years, for a total across the 24 cases of 631 years spent in prison for crimes they did not commit.

 Few of these exonerees have been adequately compensated.  

The Innocence Project reports  375 DNA exonerations in criminal cases between 1989 and 2020. Before 2000, only a handful of states allowed post-conviction DNA testing.

 That changed in 2004 with the passage of the Justice for All Act. In her 2020 article, Chi-Hsin Engelhart argues that post-conviction DNA testing is a procedural due process right that should be constitutionally protected.

 She notes this protection is especially important in the context of death row to explore the potential of wrongful execution, concluding that a denial of access and testing could lead to a violation of the Eighth Amendment. 

Ms. Engelhart argues that courts should shift their emphasis from finality to accuracy in the legal system, and that allowing for DNA testing in post-conviction proceedings would advance this goal.

During a recent discussion moderated by DPI Executive Director Robin Maher at the French Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C., Vanessa Potkin, Director of Special Litigation at the Innocence Project, noted that DNA evidence is available in less than 10% of crimes. 

The case of Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams, who was executed on September 24, 2024, illustrates that even when DNA evidence can be obtained from the crime scene, forensic materials may degrade or become contaminated, rendering them unusable for proving a defendant’s innocence. 

Robert DuBoise was wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death in Florida in 1983 based on faulty forensics, including the since-debunked practice of bite mark matching. 

DNA testing ultimately exonerated him in 2020 and in February 2024, Mr. DuBoise received $14 million compensation for his wrongful conviction.  

As scientific and technological progress continues, many prisoners may benefit from these advancements. 

However, many legal procedural barriers continue to block prisoners from accessing DNA evidence that has the potential to exonerate them."

The entire entry can be read at: 

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/the-limitations-of-dna-evidence-in-innocence-cases

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. 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:
  
  
  https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985
  
  ———————————————————————————————
  
  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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