# Charles R. Smith MD (rot in Hell you arrogant prick) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 31, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721 "2011-01-31T23:42:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/1 "2011-01-31T23:42:08Z")
Maybe the “good” Dr. Smith has been pitted before. I don’t care; he could use another (and another, . . . ). There are lots of links out there about this evil man. [The Wiki one](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Randal_Smith) is as good as any to start with. In brief, though thoroughly and totally incompetent (but not yet known to be), Smith, a pathologist, gave testimony in case after case of infant and children death in Ontario in the 1990’s. Considered a ‘guru’ on such matters, his findings alone were sufficient to convict an accused parent. Only years later, in some cases almost twenty years, would the truth be discovered and with it the horror in the realization of what some totally innocent parents had been subjected to - death of their child, then, because of Smith’s incompetence and refusal to consider alternate explanations for his “findings”, they went on to have criminal convictions and jail sentences, and removal of their other kids. [Here is an article](http://www.thestar.com/news/article/931031--crown-concedes-mother-wrongly-convicted-in-charles-smith-case?bn=1) from today’s Toronto Star which, despite being about only one tragic case, comes as close as I think possible to encapsulating the misery this man caused. Read it and weep. Other than war criminals, it’s hard to think of any doctor who’s caused as much suffering and misery as has this sorry excuse for a man. “First God takes your kid, then because of Smith your freedom and your other kids are taken next” ---
**Author:** ![3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/47e85d/32.png) [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3_20_59_or_bust)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/2 "2011-02-01T00:10:11Z")
So does anyone know if he was just totally incompetent or did he have some kind of twisted reasoning for taking the wrong side in so many cases? It almost seems like a guy with his training would get a few cases “right” just by chance. It’s almost like he wanted to screw people. The two links don’t go into much depth - anyone have more info? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/3 "2011-02-01T00:31:53Z")
> [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](#): > > So does anyone know if he was just totally incompetent or did he have some kind of twisted reasoning for taking the wrong side in so many cases? It almost seems like a guy with his training would get a few cases “right” just by chance. It’s almost like he wanted to screw people. > > The two links don’t go into much depth - anyone have more info? Here is a bit of background into the [2008 inquiry](http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/12/07/f-charles-smith-goudge-inquiry.html) > [@](#): > > That inquiry, led by Justice Stephen Goudge and concluding in October 2008, found that Smith “actively misled” his superiors, “made false and misleading statements” in court and exaggerated his expertise in trials. > [@](#): > > “Smith lacked basic knowledge about forensic pathology,” wrote Goudge in the inquiry report. > > “Smith was adamant that his failings were never intentional,” Goudge wrote. “I simply cannot accept such a sweeping attempt to escape moral responsibility.” I think that Smith was (and is) psychologically screwed up, as evidenced by this quote from the article: > [@](#): > > Smith said he had a passion for uncovering the truth in child deaths. The Ontario pathologist told media lampooning him he had “a thing against people who hurt children.” He welled up when speaking about a mother looking for the cause of her baby’s death. > > Smith had been in search of his own personal truths. He was born in a Toronto Salvation Army hospital where he was put up for adoption three months later. After years of looking for his biological mother, he called her on her 65th birthday. But she refused to take his call. ---
**Author:** ![3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/47e85d/32.png) [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3_20_59_or_bust)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/4 "2011-02-01T00:43:11Z")
Thanks for the info. So…incompetent and had a phantom “agenda.” Nice. I was also appalled at the horribly low dollar amounts offered to the victims. Lose your kids and go to prison for 15 years? No problem, here’s $15,000. All better! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/5 "2011-02-01T01:06:08Z")
On the flip side is Alfred Steinschneider, MD, who diagnosed a series of crib deaths as SIDS and used the diagnoses to further establish the relatively new–at the time–syndrome and how it runs in families. 22 years–and several million dollars in grants from NIH to Steinschneider–later, [the mother confessed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waneta_Hoyt)! Dr. Steinschneider, of course, refuses to believe the deaths were anything but SIDS. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Presidente](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@El\_Presidente](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Presidente)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/6 "2011-02-01T07:14:48Z")
Everyone makes mistakes. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/7 "2011-02-01T19:31:49Z")
> [@El\_Presidente](#): > > Everyone makes mistakes. You’re a piece of shit. The investigations found he made “false and misleading statements”. If you consider those “mistakes” then you have the brain power of a retarded rock. No, I think you just like being a piece of shit. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/8 "2011-02-01T20:27:59Z")
Yeah, Dr. Smith is big news here in Ontario, has been for some time. It is taking a surprisingly long time to partially undo all the harm he’s done. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/9 "2011-02-01T20:31:03Z")
> [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](#): > > Thanks for the info. > > So…incompetent and had a phantom “agenda.” Nice. > > I was also appalled at the horribly low dollar amounts offered to the victims. Lose your kids and go to prison for 15 years? No problem, here’s $15,000. All better! Where are you getting that from? Some victims got millions. [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/10/21/toronto-smith-pathologist-mullins-johnson.html](http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/10/21/toronto-smith-pathologist-mullins-johnson.html) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Presidente](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@El\_Presidente](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Presidente)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/10 "2011-02-01T20:48:11Z")
> [@Tahssa](#): > > You’re a piece of shit. The investigations found he made “false and misleading statements”. > > If you consider those “mistakes” then you have the brain power of a retarded rock. No, I think you just like being a piece of shit. You might actually be the dumbest poster I have have read on this Forum. Thats saying a lot, but you might just be it. ---
**Author:** ![3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/47e85d/32.png) [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3_20_59_or_bust)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/11 "2011-02-01T21:30:17Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Where are you getting that from? > > Some victims got millions. > > [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/10/21/toronto-smith-pathologist-mullins-johnson.html](http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/10/21/toronto-smith-pathologist-mullins-johnson.html) Interesting. The original linked article said the Canadian Government would offer a “maximum of $250,000” to each individual. Perhaps, that’s what they offered, but actually taking them to court wound up raising the amount substantially? ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/12 "2011-02-01T23:05:58Z")
> [@el presidente](#): > > you might actually be the dumbest poster i have have read on this forum. > > Thats saying a lot, but you might just be it. dnftt. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/13 "2011-02-02T01:11:18Z")
> [@El\_Presidente](#): > > You might actually be the dumbest poster I have have read on this Forum. > > Thats saying a lot, but you might just be it. You may havem meant it as sarcasm, but it wasn’t that clear and it wasn’t very well done, either. Getting bent out of shape because your snide tone didn’t translate is also arrogant and stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/14 "2011-02-02T01:37:57Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > You may havem meant it as sarcasm, but it wasn’t that clear and it wasn’t very well done, either. Getting bent out of shape because your snide tone didn’t translate is also arrogant and stupid. Everyone makes mistakes. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/15 "2011-02-02T01:41:58Z")
[Here is a site about Thomas Gill](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/post-mortem/second-chances/), another equally wonderful pathologist who was declared incompetent by the California bar after tapes of his being coached by a DA surfaced. (The video airs in about 20 minutes on PBS. I watched it this morning and it’s pretty interesting, if a bit morbid.) ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/16 "2011-02-02T02:24:14Z")
Watching it right now. Made me remember that for many years the coroner for this county was a barber. Musta been his smock. He LOOKED the part of a doctor IOW. Autopsies done in a garage on ana already decomposing body? Holy shit, I had NO idea! Thanks for the heads-up about this, **MsRobyn**! Q ---
**Author:** ![El\_Presidente](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@El\_Presidente](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Presidente)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/17 "2011-02-02T18:46:45Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > You may havem meant it as sarcasm, but it wasn’t that clear and it wasn’t very well done, either. Getting bent out of shape because your snide tone didn’t translate is also arrogant and stupid. I wasn’t looking for your approval. As for that poster, all he/she/it does is follow me from thread to thread and repeatedly call me a “piece of shit” (which, may I add is against the rules). Over and over again. I wonder if Tasshas mommy knows about the posting of the dirty words on the Internet? ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/18 "2011-02-03T16:00:39Z")
> [@El\_Presidente](#): > > I wasn’t looking for your approval. > > As for that poster, all he/she/it does is follow me from thread to thread and repeatedly call me a “piece of shit” (which, may I add is against the rules). Over and over again. I wonder if Tasshas mommy knows about the posting of the dirty words on the Internet? If that’s true, report it to the mods. But you did come across as a piece of shit here. So… maybe you aren’t being stalked; maybe you just need to quit being an asshole? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/19 "2011-02-03T17:44:24Z")
In all fairness, maybe they’re _both_ pieces of shit. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721/20 "2011-02-03T18:58:04Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > In all fairness, maybe they’re _both_ pieces of shit. A compromise we can all live with! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charles-r-smith-md-rot-in-hell-you-arrogant-prick/569721.md?page=2)