Criminalizing Reproduction; Attacks on science, medicine and the right to choose. (Part 2) Feminist writer Jessica Valenti asks the question of the day, on the 'Abortion Every Day' Blog: "Why are Georgia cops investigating a miscarriage?"… "I’m sure you all remember Brittany Watts, the Ohio woman who was prosecuted for ‘abuse of a corpse’ after flushing her miscarriage. Thankfully, a grand jury declined to pursue a case against Watts—but not before local media splashed her name and face across the internet, claiming she had shoved a baby down her toilet. What happened to Watts is exactly how criminalization happens, and followed a familiar pattern: A Black woman was turned in by a health care provider, targeted by a zealous misogynist prosecutor, and villainized by press outlets. I’m sorry to say it appears there might be a similar case unfolding in Georgia, where police are investigating a fetus found in Grovetown."

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  In recent years, I have taken on the  theme of criminalizing reproduction - a natural theme for a Blog concerned with  flawed science in its myriad forms  - as I am utterly opposed to the current movement in the United States (and some other countries) emboldened by the overturning of Roe Versus Wade,  towards imprisoning women and their physicians and others who help them secure a safe abortion,  on the basis of sham science (or any other basis). I can’t remember the source, but agree  totally with the sentiment that control over their reproductive lives is far too important to women in America - or anywhere else -  so they can  participate  equally in the economic and social life of their nations without fear for  loss their freedom at the hands of political opportunists and fanatics. (Far too many of those those around these days.) 

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

———————————————

PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Local media reports that WellStar MCG Health alerted law enforcement about a “patient who had recently given birth and left the fetus in the trash.” Remember: When people are turned in for their pregnancy outcomes, it’s most often healthcare providers who make the call. Reporters also wrote that “the body” is being sent for an autopsy at Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab, and that the Columbia County Sheriff’s office has interviewed—but not yet arrested—the woman said to have given birth. Abortion, Every Day is in the process of finding out more information, but the few key details that are already public beg the question: Why is there an investigation at all? To start, officials told reporters that the fetus was “early-term” and not viable. In other words, it was a miscarriage. Investigator Philip Clark told WJBF that it appears the woman “just kind of panicked.” Why, then, are police sending the tissue for an autopsy?"

————————————————————

PASSAGE TWO OF THE DAY: "As you know from Watts’ case, law enforcement and prosecutors will often target women with charges that are seemingly unrelated to abortion and pregnancy—like ‘abuse of a corpse.’ But there’s no separating the criminalization from abortion and personhood laws. After all, experts warned years ago that Georgia’s abortion ban, a 2019 fetal heartbeat law, could lead to the arrest of women. And then-president of Planned Parenthood Southeast Staci Fox predicted that women who miscarry might be pulled into criminal investigations. That’s exactly where we are right now: A woman went to a health center after miscarrying, and someone tasked with caring for her instead called law enforcement. Imagine going through a medical trauma just to find out police were sending off your fetus for an autopsy. It’s shameful. Adding insult to injury are the outlets covering this as a ‘crime’ story and running headlines about a fetus found “dead in a dumpster at Walmart.” The fact that this is becoming a common story should terrify us all."

-----------------------------------------------------

POST: Pregnancy Criminalization, by Feminist Writer Jessica Valenti, published by 'Abortion, Every day,' one\ July 24, 2024

GIST: "I’m sure you all remember Brittany Watts, the Ohio woman who was prosecuted for ‘abuse of a corpse’ after flushing her miscarriage. Thankfully, a grand jury declined to pursue a case against Watts—but not before local media splashed her name and face across the internet, claiming she had shoved a baby down her toilet.

What happened to Watts is exactly how criminalization happens, and followed a familiar pattern: A Black woman was turned in by a health care provider, targeted by a zealous misogynist prosecutor, and villainized by press outlets.

I’m sorry to say it appears there might be a similar case unfolding in Georgia, where police are investigating a fetus found in Grovetown.

Local media reports that WellStar MCG Health alerted law enforcement about a “patient who had recently given birth and left the fetus in the trash.” Remember: When people are turned in for their pregnancy outcomes, it’s most often healthcare providers who make the call.

Reporters also wrote that “the body” is being sent for an autopsy at Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab, and that the Columbia County Sheriff’s office has interviewed—but not yet arrested—the woman said to have given birth.

Abortion, Every Day is in the process of finding out more information, but the few key details that are already public beg the question: Why is there an investigation at all?

To start, officials told reporters that the fetus was “early-term” and not viable. In other words, it was a miscarriage. Investigator Philip Clark told WJBF that it appears the woman “just kind of panicked.”

Why, then, are police sending the tissue for an autopsy? There are no laws in Georgia that dictate how fetal remains must be disposed of—nor should there be! Do you want the government telling you how to handle a miscarriage or stillbirth? And if by some chance this was a self-managed abortion, Georgia law prohibits the prosecution of the patient.

Still, Clark says, “It’s something we have to look into code sections about, see what we can find if there is anything.”

As you know from Watts’ case, law enforcement and prosecutors will often target women with charges that are seemingly unrelated to abortion and pregnancy—like ‘abuse of a corpse.’ But there’s no separating the criminalization from abortion and personhood laws.

After all, experts warned years ago that Georgia’s abortion ban, a 2019 fetal heartbeat law, could lead to the arrest of women. And then-president of Planned Parenthood Southeast Staci Fox predicted that women who miscarry might be pulled into criminal investigations.

That’s exactly where we are right now: A woman went to a health center after miscarrying, and someone tasked with caring for her instead called law enforcement. Imagine going through a medical trauma just to find out police were sending off your fetus for an autopsy. It’s shameful. Adding insult to injury are the outlets covering this as a ‘crime’ story and running headlines about a fetus found “dead in a dumpster at Walmart.”

The fact that this is becoming a common story should terrify us all.

For more information on pregnancy criminalization, go to Pregnancy Justice, If/When/How, or read Abortion, Every Day here."

The entire story can be read at:

https://jessica.substack.com/p/why-are-georgia-cops-investigating?r=xbsk&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true

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;

Criminalizing Reproduction: Attacks on science, medicine and the right to choose: (Part 1): Lizelle Gonzalez: Texas: Major (Welcome) Development: A court has ruled that her lawsuit, launched after allowed Gonzalez’s lawsuit to proceed after prosecutors and a sheriff arrested and indicted her on murder charges in 2022 for self-managing an abortion before the case was later dropped, can proceed, The Odessa American reports: Associated Press: Reporter Valerie Gonzalez…"U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton denied a motion by prosecutors and the sheriff to dismiss the lawsuit during a hearing in the border city of McAllen. Lizelle Gonzalez, who spent two nights in jail on the murder charges and is seeking $1 million in damages in the lawsuit, did not attend the hearing. Texas has one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans and outlaws the procedure with limited exceptions. Under Texas law, women seeking an abortion are exempt from criminal charges, however. Starr County District Attorney Gocha Ramirez and other defendants have argued their positions provide them immunity from civil lawsuits."

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  In recent years, I have taken on the  theme of criminalizing reproduction - a natural theme for a Blog concerned with  flawed science in its myriad forms  - as I am utterly opposed to the current movement in the United States (and some other countries) emboldened by the overturning of Roe Versus Wade,  towards imprisoning women and their physicians and others who help them secure a safe abortion,  on the basis of sham science (or any other basis). I can’t remember the source, but agree  totally with the sentiment that control over their reproductive lives is far too important to women in America - or anywhere else -  so they can  participate  equally in the economic and social life of their nations without fear for  loss their freedom at the hands of political opportunists and fanatics. (Far too many of those those around these days.) 

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.

———————————————

BACKGROUND: "A federal judge on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, allowed Gonzalez’s lawsuit to proceed after prosecutors and a sheriff arrested and indicted her on murder charges in 2022 for self-managing an abortion before the case was later dropped."

PASSAGE OF THE DAY:  "Gonzalez was indicted in 2022 after she took the drug misoprostol while 19 weeks pregnant. She was treated at a Texas hospital, where doctors later performed a caesarian section to deliver a stillborn child after they detected no fetal heartbeat. Her lawsuit filed in March also named the county, which runs the small hospital where Gonzalez was treated, claiming that hospital staff violated patient privacy rights when they reported the abortion. An amended complaint alleged that the sheriff’s office interviewed Gonzalez and arrested her later under direction from the prosecutors. The charges were dropped just days after the woman’s arrest. In February, Ramirez agreed to pay a $1,250 fine under a settlement reached with the State Bar of Texas. Ramirez also agreed to have his license held in a probated suspension for 12 months."

-------------------------------------------

STORY: "Texas woman's lawsuit after being jailed on murder charge over abortion can proceed, judge rules, by Associated Press Reporter Valerie Gonzalez,  published by The Odessa American, on  July 24, 2024.

PHOTO CAPTION: "A federal judge on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, allowed Gonzalez’s lawsuit to proceed after prosecutors and a sheriff arrested and indicted her on murder charges in 2022 for self-managing an abortion before the case was later dropped."

\

GIST:  "A Texas woman who was jailed and charged with murder after self-managing an abortion in 2022 can move forward with her lawsuit against the local sheriff and prosecutors over the case that drew national outrage before the charges were quickly dropped, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton denied a motion by prosecutors and the sheriff to dismiss the lawsuit during a hearing in the border city of McAllen. Lizelle Gonzalez, who spent two nights in jail on the murder charges and is seeking $1 million in damages in the lawsuit, did not attend the hearing.

Texas has one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans and outlaws the procedure with limited exceptions. Under Texas law, women seeking an abortion are exempt from criminal charges, however.

Starr County District Attorney Gocha Ramirez and other defendants have argued their positions provide them immunity from civil lawsuits.

Rick Navarro, an attorney for the defense, argued that it was “at worst a negligence case” during the hearing. Ramirez has previously told The Associated Press that he “made a mistake” in bringing charges.

Tipton asked Gonzalez’s attorneys whether they could prove the prosecutors knew of the exception.

“What we intend to show is that negligence doesn’t explain this oversight. It is the role and function of prosecutors to be aware of the elements of the statutes that they are charging,” said David Donatti, an attorney with the ACLU of Texas who is representing Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was indicted in 2022 after she took the drug misoprostol while 19 weeks pregnant. She was treated at a Texas hospital, where doctors later performed a caesarian section to deliver a stillborn child after they detected no fetal heartbeat.

Her lawsuit filed in March also named the county, which runs the small hospital where Gonzalez was treated, claiming that hospital staff violated patient privacy rights when they reported the abortion. An amended complaint alleged that the sheriff’s office interviewed Gonzalez and arrested her later under direction from the prosecutors.

The charges were dropped just days after the woman’s arrest. In February, Ramirez agreed to pay a $1,250 fine under a settlement reached with the State Bar of Texas. Ramirez also agreed to have his license held in a probated suspension for 12 months.

Wednesday’s decision will allow the case to move forward."

The entire story can be read at:

https://www.oaoa.com/local-news/texas-womans-lawsuit-after-being-jailed-on-murder-charge-over-abortion-can-proceed-judge-rules/

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;

Christopher Dunn: Missouri: Major (Most Unwelcome) Development… And Justice for All?..."St. Louis Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser overturned Dunn’s murder conviction Monday, citing evidence of “actual innocence” in the 1990 killing. He ordered Dunn’s immediate release then, but Bailey appealed, and the state Department of Corrections declined to release Dunn," Associated Press Reporters Jim Salter and Heather Hollingsworth report…."The situation was chaotic as the deadline set by the judge approached. Corrections Department spokesperson Karen Pojmann told The Associated Press that Dunn was out of the prison facility and waiting for a ride. His wife told the AP she was on his way to pick him up. Minutes later, Pojmann corrected herself and said that while Dunn was signing paperwork to be released, the Missouri Supreme Court issued a ruling that put his freedom on hold."

QUOTES OF THE DAY: "Following the state Supreme Court’s ruling Wednesday, Dunn’s attorney, Tricia Rojo Bushnell, the executive director of the Midwest Innocence Project, expressed her frustration.  “What is this bringing to taxpayers in Missouri? What is this use of our resources and our state’s time getting us?” she said. “All it’s doing is keeping innocent people in prison."

————————————————————————

PASSAGE ONE OF THE DAY: "Dunn’s situation is similar to what happened to Sandra Hemme. The 64-year-old woman spent 43 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of a woman in St. Joseph in 1980. A judge on June 14 cited evidence of “actual innocence” and overturned her conviction. She had been the longest held wrongly incarcerated woman known in the U.S., according to the National Innocence Project, which worked to free Hemme.  Appeals by Bailey — all the way up to the Missouri Supreme Court — kept Hemme imprisoned at the Chillicothe Correctional Center. During a court hearing Friday, Judge Ryan Horsman said that if Hemme wasn’t released within hours, Bailey himself would have to appear in court with contempt of court on the table. Hemme was released later that day. The judge also scolded Bailey’s office for calling the warden and telling prison officials not to release Hemme after he ordered her to be freed on her own recognizance.

————————————————

PASSAGE TWO OF THE DAY: "A 2021 law now allows prosecutors to seek court hearings in cases with new evidence of a wrongful conviction.  Although Bailey’s office is not required to oppose such efforts, lawyers for his office said at the hearing that initial testimony from two boys at the scene who identified Dunn as the shooter was correct, even though they recanted as adults. He also raised opposition at a hearing for Lamar Johnson, who spent 28 years in prison for murder. Another St. Louis judge ruled in February 2023 that Johnson was wrongfully convicted, and he was freed."

------------------------------------------------

PASSAGE THREE OF THE DAY: "Steven Puro, professor emeritus of political science at St. Louis University, said Bailey is in a highly competitive race for the attorney general position with the primary quickly approaching on Aug. 6. “Bailey is trying to show that he is, quote, ‘tough on crime,’ which is a very important Republican conservative position,” he said. “Clearly, he’s angering members of the judicial system that he will have to argue before in the future. But he’s making the strategic notion that he needs to get his name before the voters and try to use that to win the primary election.” Michael Wolff, a former Missouri Supreme Court judge and chief justice, agreed, saying it seems this has become political for Bailey. “But one of the things is that no matter what your beliefs are, if a court orders something to happen, it’s not your purview to say no,” he said. “The court has to be obeyed."

----------------------------------------------------

STORY: "Mo. Supreme Court blocks release of Christopher Dunn of man with overturned conviction as he was about to go free," by Associated Press Reporters Jim Salter and Heather Hollingsworth,  published on July 24, 2024.'  

GIST:  "The Missouri Supreme Court halted the immediate release Wednesday of a man whose murder conviction was overturned — just as the man was about to walk free. 

A St. Louis Circuit Court judge had ordered Christopher Dunn, now 52, to be released by 6 p.m. CDT Wednesday and threatened the prison warden with contempt if Dunn remained imprisoned. But Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been fighting Dunn’s release. 

The situation was chaotic as the deadline set by the judge approached. Corrections Department spokesperson Karen Pojmann told The Associated Press that Dunn was out of the prison facility and waiting for a ride. His wife told the AP she was on his way to pick him up. Minutes later, Pojmann corrected herself and said that while Dunn was signing paperwork to be released, the Missouri Supreme Court issued a ruling that put his freedom on hold.

St. Louis Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser overturned Dunn’s murder conviction Monday, citing evidence of “actual innocence” in the 1990 killing. He ordered Dunn’s immediate release then, but Bailey appealed, and the state Department of Corrections declined to release Dunn. 

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore had filed a motion Wednesday urging the judge to immediately order Dunn’s freedom.

“The Attorney General cannot unilaterally decide to ignore this Court’s Order,” Gore wrote.

An attorney for the Department of Corrections told a lawyer in Gore’s office that Bailey advised the agency not to release Dunn until the appeal plays out, according to a court filing. When told it was improper to ignore a court order, the Department of Corrections attorney “responded that the Attorney General’s Office is legal counsel to the DOC and the DOC would be following the advice of counsel.”

Following the state Supreme Court’s ruling Wednesday, Dunn’s attorney, Tricia Rojo Bushnell, the executive director of the Midwest Innocence Project, expressed her frustration. 

“What is this bringing to taxpayers in Missouri? What is this use of our resources and our state’s time getting us?” she said. “All it’s doing is keeping innocent people in prison.”

Dunn’s wife said while driving to the prison that they were numb when he didn’t get out earlier this week. 

“If you know a little about the story, you know we’ve had a lot of disappointments where we thought we’d finally get his freedom and it was snatched away,” Kira Dunn said. “So we were just bracing ourselves.”

Dunn’s situation is similar to what happened to Sandra Hemme.

The 64-year-old woman spent 43 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of a woman in St. Joseph in 1980. A judge on June 14 cited evidence of “actual innocence” and overturned her conviction. She had been the longest held wrongly incarcerated woman known in the U.S., according to the National Innocence Project, which worked to free Hemme. 

Appeals by Bailey — all the way up to the Missouri Supreme Court — kept Hemme imprisoned at the Chillicothe Correctional Center. During a court hearing Friday, Judge Ryan Horsman said that if Hemme wasn’t released within hours, Bailey himself would have to appear in court with contempt of court on the table. Hemme was released later that day.

The judge also scolded Bailey’s office for calling the warden and telling prison officials not to release Hemme after he ordered her to be freed on her own recognizance.

Dunn, who is Black, was 18 in 1990 when 15-year-old Ricco Rogers was killed. Among the key evidence used to convict him of first-degree murder was testimony from two boys who were at the scene of the shooting. Both later recanted their testimony, saying they had been coerced by police and prosecutors.

At an evidentiary hearing in 2020, another judge agreed that a jury would likely find Dunn not guilty based on new evidence. But that judge, William Hickle, declined to exonerate Dunn, citing a 2016 Missouri Supreme Court ruling that only death row inmates — not those like Dunn sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole — could make a “freestanding” claim of actual innocence.

A 2021 law now allows prosecutors to seek court hearings in cases with new evidence of a wrongful conviction. 

Although Bailey’s office is not required to oppose such efforts, lawyers for his office said at the hearing that initial testimony from two boys at the scene who identified Dunn as the shooter was correct, even though they recanted as adults.

He also raised opposition at a hearing for Lamar Johnson, who spent 28 years in prison for murder. Another St. Louis judge ruled in February 2023 that Johnson was wrongfully convicted, and he was freed.

Another hearing begins Aug. 21 for death row inmate Marcellus Williams. Bailey’s office is opposing the challenge to Williams’ conviction, too. Timing is of the essence: Williams is scheduled to be executed Sept. 24.

Steven Puro, professor emeritus of political science at St. Louis University, said Bailey is in a highly competitive race for the attorney general position with the primary quickly approaching on Aug. 6.

“Bailey is trying to show that he is, quote, ‘tough on crime,’ which is a very important Republican conservative position,” he said. “Clearly, he’s angering members of the judicial system that he will have to argue before in the future. But he’s making the strategic notion that he needs to get his name before the voters and try to use that to win the primary election.”

Michael Wolff, a former Missouri Supreme Court judge and chief justice, agreed, saying it seems this has become political for Bailey.

“But one of the things is that no matter what your beliefs are, if a court orders something to happen, it’s not your purview to say no,” he said. “The court has to be obeyed.""

The entire story can be read at: 

The

https://fox2now.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-judge-orders-release-of-missouri-man-whose-murder-conviction-was-reversed-over-ags-objections/

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;