Death investigations series (Part One): Radley Balko explains (most...
COMMENTARY: "It's time to abolish the coroner," published by The Washington Post on his Blog 'The Watch' on December 12, 2107. (Radley Balko blogs about criminal justice, the drug war and civil...
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Death investigations series : (Part two): Radley Balko explains why (Most...
POST: "State lawmakers won’t adequately fund medical examiners’ offices. This is a huge problem," by Radley Balko, on his Blog "The Watch' published by The Washington Post on December 14, 2017. (Radley...
View ArticleDeath Investigations series. (Part three); New Jersey: A brilliantly written...
STORY: "Death and Dysfunction: How New Jersey fails the dead, betrays the living and is a national disgrace, by Stephen Stirling and S.P. Sullivan, published on December 14, 2017. which explains why...
View ArticleGreg Kelley: Texas: Bulletin: Judge recommends his conviction be overturned...
"An attorney for Greg Kelley confirms Dec. 18 that a state district judge in Williamson County recommends that Kelley's conviction be overturned. Attorney Keith Hampton told KVUE's and the Austin...
View ArticleLiam Allan. UK: Sexual assault investigations: 'The Times' relays an...
PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Finally granted access to the complainant’s phone records, a defence lawyer saw that a number of her text messages to the accused when they had been in a relationship contradicted...
View ArticleBulletin: Kirstin Lobato; Nevada; Major Development: The convicted killer of...
STORY: "A convicted killer sitting in a Nevada prison for a gruesome murder in 2001 is getting another shot at freedom. A judge has granted Kirstin Lobato's request for a new trial. Lobato has been in...
View ArticleKirstin Lobato: Nevada: Failure of defence counsel to effectively challenge...
STORY: "New trial granted for woman convicted of killing man, cutting off penis," by reporter Kimber Laux, published by The Las Vegas Review-Journal on December 20, 2017.GIST: "A Las Vegas woman...
View ArticleClyde Ray Spencer: Vancouver, Washington: Bulletin: Major Development: The...
PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "After about a decade in prison, Spencer hired Seattle attorney Peter Camiel, who, along with a private investigator, discovered that prosecutors had withheld medical exams showing...
View ArticleAlan Beaman: Illinois; Bulletin; In reversal, state Supreme Court will hear...
STORY: "In reversal, state Supreme Court will hear Alan Beaman;s appeal," published by American News on December 15, 2017.GIST: "In a rare move, the Illinois Supreme Court has reversed a recent ruling...
View ArticleJohn Huffington; Maryland. (Flawed FBI hair testing): Finally released from...
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Kudos to Ropes and Gray for the extraordinary pro bono representation the firm provided Mr. Huffington. Although his case was finally resolved by an Alford plea, it cries out actual...
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Forensic Experiential Trauma Interview: (FETI): The Star Tribune reports that...
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: In a previous post (link below) I drew attention to a supposedly effective forensic tool for use in interviewing sexual assault complainants which is called Forensic Experiential...
View ArticleIsaac Itiary: UK: 'Times' story shows that the Liam Allan case - subject of...
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: A recent post of this Blog (December 20, 2017) at the link below, begins as follows:"Liam Allan. UK: Sexual assault investigations: 'The Times' relays an important message to police...
View ArticleMark Denny: Brooklyn, New York: Exonerated after serving 30 Years for rape he...
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Charles Smith Blog has become interested in false confessions because of the disturbing number of exonerations in the USA, Canada and multiple other jurisdictions throughout the...
View ArticleAngela Garcia: Ohio: An extraordinary account of junk science and a flawed...
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I missed this important article by Liliana Segura - a superb criminal justice reporter - which was published in "The Intercept" on March 5, 2017. At least it will appear before...
View ArticleDaniel Holtzclaw: 'Pyongyang on the Prairie. Part 2.'...Commentator Michelle...
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin has taken on an extraordinary challenge: Going to bat for a former Oklahoma City police officer who she claims was convicted and sentenced to...
View Article(Year end Part One): Radley Balko: (Washington Post); This astute observer of...
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The entire post is mandatory reading. I am just enclosing - for a taste - the important stories in forensics (and the treasure chest of links) that Radley Balko has singled out: POST:...
View Article(Year end Part Two); False confessions: Professor Steven Drizen presents 'A...
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Charles Smith Blog is interested in false confessions because of the disturbing number of exonerations in the USA, Canada and multiple other jurisdictions throughout the world,...
View Article(Year end Part Three): 'Mother Jones' has certainly got it right with the...
"PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "The report found that crime labs nationwide lacked uniform standards, practices, accreditation, and oversight. In 2015, the FBI found that its own microscopic hair analysts made...
View ArticleDerrie Nelson: D.C. Flawed FBI hair matching analysis by former FBI Agent...
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Jurors love Law and Order, they love these documentary shows, they love these shows where there is all this science involved,” said Grimm. “So when they get in the jury room and they...
View ArticleBulletin: Momentous Development; Kirstin Lobato: Nevada; Judge dismisses case...
Las Vegas Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez signed an order (December 29, 2017) today dismissing the case against Kirstin Lobato who was convicted of murder and spent more than 10 years in prison. The order...
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