Ellen Greenberg; Philadelphia: Major (Welcome) Development: A judge has ruled that the family of Ellen Greenberg can take city of Philadelphia to trial, NBC 10, Reporter Emily Rose Grassi reports, noting that: "It's a big development in the lawsuit filed by Greenberg's parents that accuses the city of Philadelphia of falsely labeling their daughter’s 2011 stabbing death a suicide in order to cover up a botched homicide investigation. According to attorney Joe Podraza, jury selection in the trial will begin on Monday, Feb. 3 with opening statements starting that day or Tuesday. The judge ruled on Jan. 31 that medical examiners Marlon Osbourne and Sam Gulino must testify at trial along with homicide detective John McNamee. “I’m hoping we’re going to prove that Ellen did not commit suicide,” Ellen’s father, Josh Greenberg, told NBC10. “That’s what this is all about. Justice for Ellen.”

PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Philadelphia Medical Examiner Marlon Osbourne initially ruled her death a homicide, noting the large number of stab wounds, including 10 to the back of her neck. After police publicly challenged the findings, Osbourne switched the ruling to suicide without explanation. Over the past several years, Greenberg’s parents – Josh and Sandee Greenberg -- have sought to have the ruling changed back to homicide and filed a lawsuit against Philadelphia. The city has objected, arguing that state law "makes clear that a medical examiner can be wrong as to the manner of death yet cannot be compelled to change it.”

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STORY:  "Family of Ellen Greenberg can take city of Philadelphia to trial, judge rules," by  Reporter Emily Rose Grassi and NBC Staff, published by NBC, on February 1, 2024.

PHOTO CAPTION: "The medical examiner who ruled Ellen Greenberg’s death a homicide, then suicide, wrote that he believes the case should be ruled as “something other than suicide.”'

GIST: "'The case of Ellen Greenberg's death against the city of Philadelphia can go to trial, a judge ruled on Friday.

It's a big development in the lawsuit filed by Greenberg's parents that accuses the city of Philadelphia of falsely labeling their daughter’s 2011 stabbing death a suicide in order to cover up a botched homicide investigation.

According to attorney Joe Podraza, jury selection in the trial will begin on Monday, Feb. 3 with opening statements starting that day or Tuesday.

The judge ruled on Jan. 31 that medical examiners Marlon Osbourne and Sam Gulino must testify at trial along with homicide detective John McNamee.

“I’m hoping we’re going to prove that Ellen did not commit suicide,” Ellen’s father, Josh Greenberg, told NBC10. “That’s what this is all about. Justice for Ellen.”

The death of Ellen Greenberg

On Jan. 26, 2011, Ellen Greenberg, 27, was found dead by her fiancé in the kitchen of her apartment on Flat Rock Road in Philadelphia. The first-grade teacher had suffered 20 stab wounds.

Philadelphia Police and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office both investigated her death. Police considered her death a suicide because her apartment door was locked from the inside and her boyfriend — who said he found her after breaking down the door — had no defensive wounds.

Philadelphia Medical Examiner Marlon Osbourne initially ruled her death a homicide, noting the large number of stab wounds, including 10 to the back of her neck. After police publicly challenged the findings, Osbourne switched the ruling to suicide without explanation.

Over the past several years, Greenberg’s parents – Josh and Sandee Greenberg -- have sought to have the ruling changed back to homicide and filed a lawsuit against Philadelphia. The city has objected, arguing that state law "makes clear that a medical examiner can be wrong as to the manner of death yet cannot be compelled to change it.”

In 2018, the investigation was turned over to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office for review. The investigation was then turned over to Chester County detectives in August 2022 in order to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Chester County detectives first conducted a review of the Philadelphia Police and Attorney General's Office investigations. They also conducted new interviews and consulted with an independent forensic expert.

Then in November 2024,  the Chester County District Attorney’s Office announced that they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed and the investigation was placed as inactive. Despite this, Greenberg’s parents – who currently live in Florida – have continued to fight to change the ruling of their daughter’s death while insisting she was murdered.

Fighting for justice for Ellen

On Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, Greenberg’s parents appeared in court in Philadelphia as their lawyers presented the arguments made in the lawsuit against the city.

Lawyers for the couple argued that the officials involved in their daughter’s case botched the investigation and were trying to cover it up as a result. They also accused them of intentionally causing the couple emotional distress. Defense attorneys said the claims are insufficient to meet the high bar for intentional infliction of emotional distress. They also said their clients are protected by immunity.

The lawsuit against Philadelphia is one of two that the Greenbergs have filed. The second lawsuit aims to change the ruling on their daughter’s death certificate. That case is pending before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court."

The entire story can be read at:

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/ellen-greenberg-case-jury-selection-trial-monday/4095356/

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

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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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Annie Dookhan: Sonja Farak: Massachusetts: From our 'This is most unfair!' department: Criminal defendants in more than 30,000 state cases were tossed because this disastrous duo tampered with evidence, falsified drug results and committed perjury in state drug cases for years, The Boston Herald (Reporter Rick Sobey) reports. The catch is that these victims of lab corruption have been told by a federal appeals court that they are not entitled to recover any of the property seized by the authorities in connection with their wrongful convictions. Innocent people went through hell because of the corrupt, criminal misconduct of Dookhan and Farak - the agents of the state - yet the state government has invoked the Constitution to block the return of their property. That's really shabby. Shameful, indeed! I truly hope this is not the end this sordid chapter. Harold Levy Publisher's Report…."The criminal defendants’ lawsuit against the state officials and departments should be fully dismissed, the appeals court ruled. “Like the SJC, we acknowledge the tremendous harm caused by Farak and Dookhan’s egregious misconduct,” the court wrote. “But the Eleventh Amendment bars federal courts from providing the relief plaintiffs seek here. For these reasons, we reverse the district court’s partial denial of the Commonwealth defendants’ motion to dismiss and remand to the district court with instructions to dismiss the complaint in full.”

PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Dookhan worked out of the Hinton State Laboratory Institute in Jamaica Plain. In the scandal’s wake, then-Gov. Deval Patrick shut down the Hinton Lab and prosecutors were forced to overturn convictions. The roughly 31,000 defendants were awarded $14 million in a class-action settlement. Dookhan was sentenced to three-to-five years in prison after pleading guilty to several counts of obstruction of justice, perjury and tampering with evidence. Out in western Massachusetts, Farak’s misconduct at the Amherst state lab led to the dismissal of thousands of drug convictions. Farak was sentenced to 18 months of incarceration after it was revealed she was stealing and using some of the drugs that she was meant to be testing."

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STORY: "Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak drug lab scandal fallout: Massachusetts federal court rules on seized property, by Reporter Rick Sowby, published by The Boston Herald. on January 24, 2025.

SUB-HEADING: "More than 30,000 cases were tossed."

GIST: "The criminal defendants in the more than 30,000 state drug cases that were tossed due to the tampering forensic chemists cannot get back any of their property seized in connection with the wrongful convictions.

That’s according to the Massachusetts federal appeals court, which has ruled in favor of Attorney General Andrea Campbell, district attorneys across the Bay State, local police departments and other state officials.

This federal lawsuit arises from the criminal actions of two former state forensic chemists, Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak, who tampered with evidence, falsified drug results, and committed perjury in state court drug cases beginning in about 2004.

After their misconduct was discovered a decade later, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court vacated and dismissed with prejudice more than 30,000 drug cases tainted by their involvement.

Eventually, the SJC also determined that affected people were entitled to the repayment of most funds collected as a consequence of their now-vacated convictions, under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

However, the SJC ruled that the individuals were not entitled to the automatic return of any forfeited property seized in connection with those convictions.

That state ruling led to criminal defendants bringing this federal case against state officials and departments, seeking a federal court order that would essentially require the automatic return of their forfeited property.

The state officials and departments in response said the federal case should be dismissed, arguing that the claims were barred by the Eleventh Amendment — which bans suits in federal court against a state by its own citizens. The federal district court dismissed the complaint in part.

“It held that it could not order the automatic return of plaintiffs’ forfeited property, but that plaintiffs’ other claims could proceed under the Ex parte Young exception to the Eleventh Amendment, which permits suits against state officials in federal court in certain circumstances,” the past ruling stated.

Then that federal district court ruling was appealed, leading to this week’s ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

The appeals court ruled that the Eleventh Amendment prohibits all of the relief sought by the criminal defendants.

“Plaintiffs’ attempt to recover their forfeited property focuses on a past alleged wrong, but the Ex parte Young exception applies only when individuals seek prospective relief against a state official’s ongoing violation of federal law,” the appeals court wrote.

“Because there is no ongoing violation to anchor plaintiffs’ various claims, there is no prospective or ancillary relief to grant,” the court added.

Even if the state agencies’ continued withholding of the forfeited property did violate federal law, it would be a past violation, not an ongoing one, according to the court.

The criminal defendants’ lawsuit against the state officials and departments should be fully dismissed, the appeals court ruled.

“Like the SJC, we acknowledge the tremendous harm caused by Farak and Dookhan’s egregious misconduct,” the court wrote. “But the Eleventh Amendment bars federal courts from providing the relief plaintiffs seek here. For these reasons, we reverse the district court’s partial denial of the Commonwealth defendants’ motion to dismiss and remand to the district court with instructions to dismiss the complaint in full.”

Dookhan worked out of the Hinton State Laboratory Institute in Jamaica Plain. In the scandal’s wake, then-Gov. Deval Patrick shut down the Hinton Lab and prosecutors were forced to overturn convictions. The roughly 31,000 defendants were awarded $14 million in a class-action settlement.

Dookhan was sentenced to three-to-five years in prison after pleading guilty to several counts of obstruction of justice, perjury and tampering with evidence.

Out in western Massachusetts, Farak’s misconduct at the Amherst state lab led to the dismissal of thousands of drug convictions. Farak was sentenced to 18 months of incarceration after it was revealed she was stealing and using some of the drugs that she was meant to be testing."

The entire story can be read at:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/annie-dookhan-and-sonja-farak-drug-lab-scandal-fallout-massachusetts-federal-court-rules-on-seized-property/ar-AA1xGo5Z

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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Iwao Hakamada: Japan: (Brutally inducted false confession case (and much more): Bulletin: Acquitted in a retrial over a 1966 quadruple murder case, Iwao Hakamada', through his lawyer, has sought about 217 million yen ($1.4 million) in state compensation for the 88-year-old ex-boxer's nearly half-century wrongful detention, The Mainichi reports, noting that: "Under Japan's Criminal Compensation Act, an acquitted person can receive up to 12,500 yen per day of detention. The court determines the compensation amount based on factors such as time spent in custody and potential future earnings. As Hakamada's mental state deteriorated during his long incarceration, making communication difficult, his elder sister, Hideko Hakamada, 91, and a lawyer were appointed as his guardians. The lawyer filed the request. The lawyer has also filed a request with the Shizuoka District Court to recover lawsuit fees."

QUOTE:  OF THE DAY:  "We want (the court) to take into consideration the fact that Mr. Hakamada has gone through unimaginable suffering and is still living in a delusional world due to prolonged detention," Hideyo Ogawa, a different lawyer who is part of Hakamada's defense team, said. The former professional boxer spent about 47 years and seven months behind bars after he was arrested on Aug. 18, 1966. He was released on March 27, 2014, after new evidence raised doubts about his conviction, leading to the start of the retrial.Hakamada was recognized as the world's longest-serving death row inmate."

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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Hakamada, who was a live-in employee at a miso maker, was arrested in 1966 for allegedly killing the firm's senior managing director, his wife and two of their children, in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. His death sentence was finalized in 1980. In granting Hakamada's acquittal in September last year, the Shizuoka District Court ruled that investigators had fabricated evidence, and prosecutors chose not to appeal."

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STORY: "Japan man acquitted of 1966 murders seeks over $1.4 million in compensation," published on January 29, 2025, by The Mainichi.

GIST: "A lawyer for an 88-year-old man acquitted in a retrial over a 1966 quadruple murder case has sought about 217 million yen ($1.4 million) in state compensation for his nearly half-century wrongful detention, a source close to the matter said Wednesday.

The request for criminal compensation, entitled under Japanese law, was submitted to the Shizuoka District Court the same day after Iwao Hakamada's acquittal was finalized in October, marking the end of his family's decades-long fight to free him from death row.

Under Japan's Criminal Compensation Act, an acquitted person can receive up to 12,500 yen per day of detention. The court determines the compensation amount based on factors such as time spent in custody and potential future earnings.

As Hakamada's mental state deteriorated during his long incarceration, making communication difficult, his elder sister, Hideko Hakamada, 91, and a lawyer were appointed as his guardians. The lawyer filed the request.

The lawyer has also filed a request with the Shizuoka District Court to recover lawsuit fees.

"We want (the court) to take into consideration the fact that Mr. Hakamada has gone through unimaginable suffering and is still living in a delusional world due to prolonged detention," Hideyo Ogawa, a different lawyer who is part of Hakamada's defense team, said.

The former professional boxer spent about 47 years and seven months behind bars after he was arrested on Aug. 18, 1966. He was released on March 27, 2014, after new evidence raised doubts about his conviction, leading to the start of the retrial.

Hakamada was recognized as the world's longest-serving death row inmate.

Hakamada's defense team is also preparing a separate damages suit against the central government and the Shizuoka prefectural government over the false charge brought against him.

Hakamada, who was a live-in employee at a miso maker, was arrested in 1966 for allegedly killing the firm's senior managing director, his wife and two of their children, in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. His death sentence was finalized in 1980.

In granting Hakamada's acquittal in September last year, the Shizuoka District Court ruled that investigators had fabricated evidence, and prosecutors chose not to appeal."

The entire story can be read at: 

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250129/p2g/00m/0na/033000c

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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From our 'Refreshing Decisions' department: The Courthouse News ( Reporter Steve Garrison):Gary Washington was deemed innocent after serving three decades in prison, but a federal judge had initially ruled he was unable to pursue civil claims against the detectives that investigated the case. Now, however, a panel of judges for the Fourth Circuit ruled Monday that a wrongfully convicted man can sue the Baltimore police detectives he claims framed him for murder. Hallelujah! The facts? Gary Washington claimed in his federal lawsuit filed in 2019 against the Baltimore Police Department and its detectives, that they violated his civil rights by coercing the witness, who was 12 years old at the time of the crime, into naming Washington as the shooter."

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanie Thacker, a Barack Obama appointee, wrote in a 26-page opinion that a federal judge misapplied collateral estoppel — a legal doctrine that prevents relitigating the same issues — when barring Gary Washington from arguing in a civil rights lawsuit that detectives coerced witness testimony. “Precluding appellant from litigating his colorable claims for relief would bar him from taking even a single bite of the apple regarding appellees’ alleged misconduct,” Thacker wrote."

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STORY: "Fourth Circuit revives Baltimore man's wrongful conviction suit over 1986 murder," by Reporter Steve Garrison, published by Courthouse News Service on January 6, 2025. (Steve Garrison is a South Carolina correspondent for Courthouse News Service. The Chicago native previously covered courts and crime in Wisconsin, New Mexico and Indiana. He studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Missouri.)

SUB-HEADING: "Gary Washington was deemed innocent after serving three decades in prison, but a federal judge had initially ruled he was unable to pursue civil claims against the detectives that investigated the case."

GIST: "A panel of judges for the Fourth Circuit ruled Monday that a wrongfully convicted man can sue the Baltimore police detectives he claims framed him for murder.

U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanie Thacker, a Barack Obama appointee, wrote in a 26-page opinion that a federal judge misapplied collateral estoppel — a legal doctrine that prevents relitigating the same issues — when barring Gary Washington from arguing in a civil rights lawsuit that detectives coerced witness testimony.

“Precluding appellant from litigating his colorable claims for relief would bar him from taking even a single bite of the apple regarding appellees’ alleged misconduct,” Thacker wrote.

Washington served more than 30 years in prison for the 1986 murder of Faheem “Bobo” Ali before a circuit judge ruled in 2018 he was innocent, pointing to the decision of the sole witness in the case to recant his testimony.

Washington filed a federal lawsuit in 2019 against the Baltimore Police Department and its detectives, claiming they violated his civil rights by coercing the witness, who was 12 years old at the time of the crime, into naming Washington as the shooter.

U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher initially granted summary judgment to the detectives and determined collateral estoppel barred Washington from using evidence of the boy’s coercion in his lawsuit.

The Donald Trump appointee had pointed to a 1999 post-conviction ruling by the circuit court that found the witness’ recantation was not credible, even though the circuit judge who vacated Washington’s conviction in 2018 came to the opposite conclusion.

The panel ruled in a unanimous decision that the findings from the post-conviction ruling were trumped by the circuit judge’s 2018 decision.

"Appellees may not rely on the determination by the Post-Conviction Decision court that Robinson’s recantation was incredible. Consequently, Robinson’s original testimony did not provide probable cause to arrest and prosecute appellant. Thus, his civil claims against appellees that rely on Robinson’s recantation may proceed," Thacker said.

The panel also said that Gallagher’s ruling led to an “unfair and inequitable result” that ignored the purpose of collateral estoppel — to promote judicial efficiency and fairness.

"The possibility of the current lawsuit did not materialize until after appellee had obtained his writ of actual innocence. To permit nonmutual, defensive collateral estoppel in this specific context would prohibit a lawsuit from happening at all," Thacker wrote, noting Washington wouldn't even have been able to bring his civil claims while the criminal conviction was active.

The opinion echoed arguments Washington’s attorney made at an Oct. 30 hearing.

Renee Spence from Loevy & Loevy in Chicago told the panel that it was fundamentally unfair that a 25-year-old, discredited order could bar Washington from seeking redress through a lawsuit.

“It takes decades to unwind misconduct,” Spence said, and it would be doubly unfair if, after Washington was finally cleared of the murder, the delay helped the defendants avoid justice.

The panel also affirmed Gallagher’s decision to dismiss a due process claim in the suit based on insufficient evidence, but reversed another decision to dismiss a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

U.S. Circuit Judges Paul Niemeyer, a Ronald Reagan appointee, and A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr., a Donald Trump appointee, joined in the decision, with Niemeyer issuing a concurring opinion."

The entire story can be read at: 

https://www.courthousenews.com/fourth-circuit-revives-baltimore-mans-wrongful-conviction-suit-over-1986-murder/

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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