PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "“When science evolves and we learn that methods once trusted are no longer reliable, our legal system has a responsibility to respond,” Janis Puracal, executive director of Forensic Justice Project, said in a statement. “Senate Bill 1515 ensures that Oregonians who were convicted based on discredited forensic techniques have a meaningful opportunity to present new evidence and seek relief. This legislation reinforces our commitment to justice, fairness, and restoring dignity to those who have been wrongfully convicted.”
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SECOND QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Rep. Willy Chotzen, D-Portland, who carried the bill on the House floor, said the legislation will ensure innocent Oregonians have a fair opportunity to challenge convictions and begin rebuilding their lives. “As a former public defender in Portland, I’ve seen firsthand how deeply flawed forensic testimony can shape the outcome of a case and how difficult it can be to undo that harm once a conviction is secured,”Chotzen said."
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STORY: "Legislature passes bill to help Oregonians convicted on 'junk science,' by Reporter Whitney Woodworth, published by The Salem Statesman Journal, on March 6, 2026. (With nearly a decade in journalism, east Salem resident Whitney Woodworth is the watchdog reporter for city hall and covers economic development. She has also covered breaking news and crime.)
GIST: "The Oregon Legislature passed a bill creating a legal pathway for those convicted on the basis of discredited "junk science" to prove their innocence.
Supporters of Senate Bill 1515 B said it will deliver justice to wrongfully convicted Oregonians and strengthen the Oregon Justice for Exonerees Act.
“When science evolves and we learn that methods once trusted are no longer reliable, our legal system has a responsibility to respond,” Janis Puracal, executive director of Forensic Justice Project, said in a statement. “Senate Bill 1515 ensures that Oregonians who were convicted based on discredited forensic techniques have a meaningful opportunity to present new evidence and seek relief. This legislation reinforces our commitment to justice, fairness, and restoring dignity to those who have been wrongfully convicted.”
Under current law, people whose convictions were based on discredited forensic methods often have no way to challenge their cases.
Once widely used techniques like hair microscopy, bite mark analysis and comparative bullet lead analysis have now been discredited by scientific research.
The bill received bipartisan support from Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, and Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene.
"Senate Bill 1515 addresses convictions based on forensic methods that Oregon has already abandoned," Thatcher said. "But these outdated techniques helped put people behind bars, and some of them may be innocent."
She said the bill creates a responsible way to revisit those cases and restore trust in the justice system.
"With this bill, Oregon joins states like Texas in tackling the problem of misused forensic science... Oooops: A few words dropped out of this sentence - which I cannot retrieve because of a 'paywall.' However, this gives me an opportunity to point out that while Texas may be a step in the right direction, the refusal of the governor to recognize their 'junk science' law has led to the injustice being perpetrated on Robert Roberson - wrongfully sentenced to death by junk shaken baby syndrome evidence. In other words, Oregon will be judged by its actions under the new law, which is waiting assent by the governor, and not by its words. We're watching! HL);
Rep. Willy Chotzen, D-Portland, who carried the bill on the House floor, said the legislation will ensure innocent Oregonians have a fair opportunity to challenge convictions and begin rebuilding their lives.
“As a former public defender in Portland, I’ve seen firsthand how deeply flawed forensic testimony can shape the outcome of a case and how difficult it can be to undo that harm once a conviction is secured,”Chotzen said.
The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 24 in a 28-1 vote. It passed the House in a 40-16 vote on March 5. The Senate repassed the bill with House amendments on March 6 in a 29-0 vote.
The bill now heads to Gov. Tina Kotek for her signature."
The entire story can be read at:
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. 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.
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;
