While at my job the other day I heard a bit on the news that some hanky-panky was found in many convictions and that this had cast serious doubt on at least three cases of people on death row. This was during the past week.
I think, but I’m not at all sure it was in South Carolina. Someone insisted on talking to
me at the time so my information is really sketchy.
Anyone hear anything about this?
Peace,
mangeorge
I heard that too and don’t remember where it was. It involved the forensic evidence lab of some state or city. Evidence was created, faked, lied about and so on. They did not know the number of cases that would be called into question as this investigation was in the early stages.
This is coming up all over the country. Detroit had to close it’s lab because of evidence tampering. Now the state police took over the work temporarily. And elsewhere in Michigan there was a woman expert in bite markings. She was responsible for many convictions over a span of years. Then it was proven that she was guessing.
We had one too. An employee was sipping at the well of drug case evidence. Big shakeup for the courts.
I’ve asked a few coworkers about the news story in question. It seems that pro death penalty folks don’t want to talk about it. I was met with some hostility.
I’m about to try some different terms on google.
I think you’re thinking of North Carolina.
http://www.forensicsguy.com/benchnotes/1million-outlay-to-investigate-questioned-detroit-crime-lab-evidence/ Or Detroit. Unlike CSI the Detroit crime lab has been cutting corners for a long time. They have done a poor job. Many of their convictions have been thrown out and they have to decide how far back they have to go. So many cases have been brought into question.
NORTH Carolina.
Google News “Carolina forensics” turned up the story.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=7618979
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/08/22/637823/the-sbi-aftermath.html
Thank you. That’s it. Now I need to do some reading.