Saturday, March 21, 2015

Breaking News: U.S. Attorney acknowledges "significant errors" made at D.C.'s DNA lab - and says "We don't want another Donald Gates or Kirk Odom. We don't want another wrongful conviction." Publisher's note: Due to a 'writing' assignment, I will not be filing fresh posts for several weeks. (With the exception of breaking news;) When I am back in action I will make up for lost time with a vengeance. In the meantime, please keep me up to date with developments and don't hesitate to bring new matters of interest to this Blog to my attention at hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;


WASHINGTON - BREAKING NEWS: "The U.S. Attorney's office has stopped sending new DNA cases to the district's crime lab after officials say serious errors were discovered in the analysis of results. Two audits are underway while outside experts re-examine work that's already been done in more than one hundred cases. DNA analysis has become a vital tool in solving all manner of crimes from homicides to rapes to simple gun possession cases. But last summer, an outside expert working with the U.S. Attorney's office says he discovered errors in the analysis of DNA recovered in a pair of home invasions. Analysis, that was conducted at the district's department of forensic sciences - otherwise known as the crime lab. Additional outside experts were consulted and by early January the U.S. Attorney's office started shipping its cases to other labs.........During questioning Thursday, McDuffie, the chair of the public safety committee asked director Houck for a deeper assessment of the problem. "You have characterized it as a matter of science”, said McDuffie, “is it an issue of internal protocols or policies or is it a quality of staff in the analysis or both? i think it comes down to individual expertise”, said Houck, “and assumptions made in the genetic data". But U.S. Attorney Ron Machen was a bit more critical telling FOX 5 in a statement: "There have been significant errors in their analysis and we have got to get this right. We don't want another Donald Gates or Kirk Odom. We don't want another wrongful conviction". The U.S. Attorney's office points out in one case--involving DNA on the magazine of a gun the crime labs analysis was false. Concluding a person's DNA was on the magazine when it says it was not. In an interview following the hearing McDuffie said, "I think the public wants to know when someone is convicted based on analysis performed by the department of forensic sciences--that it's accurate and it's fair and it's just and that's ultimately what I want as well"."
http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/28416543/significant-errors-have-been-made-at-dcs-dna-lab

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
 
Dear Readers. Due to a 'writing' assignment,  I will not be filing fresh posts for several weeks. (With the exception of breaking news;)  When I am back in action I will make up for lost time with a vengeance. In the meantime, please keep me up to date with developments and don't hesitate to bring new matters of interest to this Blog to my attention at hlevy15@gmail.com.
 
Best wishes,
 
Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
 
PS: For latest coverage of the Mark Lundy retrial  go to: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/mark-lundy-murder-retrial  
 
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: 

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
 
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

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.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
 
I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com.

Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;