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Bulletin: Major development: Texas junk science writ: Governor Abbott signs bill codifying Acourt decision that Texas' new junk science writ applies both to bad science and bad scientists. "Going forward, the statute will allow defendants to challenge false convictions whenever they relied on either bad science or a bad scientist at trial. And given the revelations in recent years regarding high error rates and a lack of scientific grounding regarding numerous forensic fields, the implications of the legislation may become even more significant over time than they seem today." Grits for Breakfast post;

Previous: Eddy Lee Howard Jr: Mississippi: On Tuesday (June 23) lawyers from the Mississippi Innocence Project will argue to the state Supreme Court that Howard deserves a new trial. The evidence of forensic odontologist Michael West of Hattiesburg whose bite-mark evidence led a jury to put Eddie Lee Howard Jr. on Mississippi’s death row will take center stage. Jerry Mitchell reports in the Clarion-Ledger that: "The expert whose bite-mark evidence led a jury to put Eddie Lee Howard Jr. on Mississippi’s death row now believes such evidence should be tossed. “I no longer believe in bite-mark analysis,” forensic odontologist Michael West of Hattiesburg testified in a 2012 deposition. “I don’t think it should be used in court. I think you should use DNA. Throw bite marks out.” (Must Read. HL);
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"I'm out of town and won't have time to focus on recent veto announcements until later, but I couldn't resist passing along the excellent news that Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB 3724 codifying the Court of Criminal Appeals' decision in Ex Parte Robbins, holding that Texas' new junk science writ applies both to bad science and bad scientists. For me, this completes a process begun seven years ago when the original statute was first conceived, and it's been a remarkable roller coaster ride since then. Going forward, the statute will allow defendants to challenge false convictions whenever they relied on either bad science or a bad scientist at trial. And given the revelations in recent years regarding high error rates and a lack of scientific grounding regarding numerous forensic fields, the implications of the legislation may become even more significant over time than they seem today. What terrific news! Congratulations and many thanks to everyone who helped make this possible, including to Gov. Abbott for signing the thing."
http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.ca/2015/06/abbott-signs-bill-codifying-broad.html

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