PUBLISHER'S NOTE: It is comforting to note that the publication 'The Root' managed to come up with 11 criminal justice victories' in an otherwise bleak 1917 - and three of these stand out because of their forensic content.This article was published in partnership with In Justice Today. Although all of the eleven entries are worth reading, I am focusing on the three forensic related entries. The list was compiled, in partnership with 'In Justice Today,' by John Legend, a 10-time Grammy Awards winner, an Academy and Tony awards winner, philanthropist, and founder of the #FREEAMERICA campaign - and Carimah Townes, a criminal-justice reporter for the Fair Punishment Project who has also covered race politics, education and pop culture. The Root is an English-language American online magazine of African-American culture launched on January 28, 2008, by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Donald E. Graham.
1. New York and North Carolina “raised the age.”: Scientists, juvenile justice experts, and courts agree that kids and teenagers are different from adults. The part of the brain associated with decision-making is still underdeveloped, which renders them immature, reckless, and impulsive. They are also heavily influenced by environmental factors, including family dynamics, trauma, and income instability. But children across the country are still being prosecuted as adults in federal and local courts — sometimes automatically, sometimes at the discretion of a prosecutor or judge. This year, New York and North Carolina passed legislation to “raise the age,” and will no longer automatically prosecute 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. Instead, these teenagers can legally be processed in the juvenile justice system, which is better equipped to assess and tackle young people’s unique needs and aims to be rehabilitative, not punitive.
4. Thousands of convictions dropped due to lab scandals in Massachusetts: For years, Annie Dookhan served as a drug lab chemist, helping prosecutors build thousands of cases in Massachusetts. But, by her own admission, she tampered with evidence, wrote false reports, failed to complete vital drug tests, and lied about her credentials. In April, prosecutors decided to drop over 21,000 cases tied to Dookhan — many of which were prosecuted in Boston — rather than spending countless dollars and resources to retry all of them. In November, prosecutors dismissed another 6,000 cases due to chemist Sonja Farak’s illegal activity in another crime lab. In addition to tampering with evidence, Farak stole and used drugs from a lab at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and conducted most of her eight years of work while high.
Last but not least: According to the Death Penalty Information Center, which tracks national execution and death penalty sentencing, there were 23 executions this year. This marks the second lowest number of executions in the past 25 years, and the continuation of a downward trend that’s lasted nearly two decades. The total number of new death sentences, 39, was historically low as well, marking the second lowest number of new death sentences in any year since 1972. Public support for the death penalty is also the lowest it has been since that year.These trends can be attributed to a better understanding of how flawed cases can be, due to science, juror bias, and shady prosecutor behavior. Executions themselves are rife with problems, including but not limited to the fact that the drugs used to execute people are manufactured in unregulated pharmacies and don’t work. The costs associated with the appeals process, detention, and the execution process are also astronomical."
BONUS YEAR ENDER: Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin published an article honouring "2017 bulldogs." This one is of particular interest: "Brian Bates: An Oklahoma private investigator, Bates' website on the case of former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw's wrongful convictions (holtzclawtrial.com) is a rare challenge to prosecutorial misconduct and crime lab incompetence in the Sooner State. If not for his work, I would not have embarked on my own continuing investigative journey into a case that represents the worst miscarriage of justice in the criminal justice system that I've covered in 25 years. Stay tuned as many more independent experts and advocates weigh in on the case in 2018 while Holtzclaw fights for his exoneration."https://www.noozhawk.com/article/michelle_malkin_honoring_2017s_bulldogs
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. 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."