Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Bryan Fish: New York; Police, false memory, perjury and arson: A toxic mix? Daily Gazette reporter Steven Cook reports on the aftermath of the Hulett Street fatal arson case..."Bryan Fish is facing trial next month on three counts of perjury related to the arson case. He allegedly told three separate lies about a driver in a now-discredited account about who started the May 2013 fire that killed three children and a father, as well as maimed then-5-year-old Safyre Terry. Fish faces up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted of all counts against him. Fish's attorney, Frederick Rench, is arguing that his client recanted false testimony within 11 days and that contradictory testimony offered by another figure in the case minimized the impact on the grand jury proceedings as a whole. Rench also gave notice that the defense may call an expert in the field of false memory to the stand. The expert, Deryn Strange, of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, would comment on the videotaped police interrogation of Fish. "She will testify as to the factors that can cause or contribute to false memory, the questions, comments, representations, misrepresentations and interrogation techniques used by law enforcement ... could impact the creation and maintenance of false memory in Bryan Fish," Rench wrote. Fish's false account helped lead to charges against Robert Butler, then 27, who was accused of setting the fatal fire."


STORY: "False memory expert could testify in arson perjury trial," by reporter Steven Cook, published by The Daily Gazette on May 18, 2017.

SUB-HEADING:  "Hulett Street fire killed 4 members of family."

GIST: "The last perjury defendant in the Hulett Street fatal arson case wants the charges against him either dropped or consolidated and may present an expert in false memories at his trial, according to recent court filings. Bryan Fish is facing trial next month on three counts of perjury related to the arson case. He allegedly told three separate lies about a driver in a now-discredited account about who started the May 2013 fire that killed three children and a father, as well as maimed then-5-year-old Safyre Terry. Fish faces up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted of all counts against him. Fish's attorney, Frederick Rench, is arguing that his client recanted false testimony within 11 days and that contradictory testimony offered by another figure in the case minimized the impact on the grand jury proceedings as a whole. Rench also gave notice that the defense may call an expert in the field of false memory to the stand. The expert, Deryn Strange, of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, would comment on the videotaped police interrogation of Fish. "She will testify as to the factors that can cause or contribute to false memory, the questions, comments, representations, misrepresentations and interrogation techniques used by law enforcement ... could impact the creation and maintenance of false memory in Bryan Fish," Rench wrote. Fish's false account helped lead to charges against Robert Butler, then 27, who was accused of setting the fatal fire. Butler spent nine months in custody before prosecutors dropped the charges and freed him as another suspect emerged."


The entire story can be found at:

https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/05/17/false-memory-expert-could-testify-in-arson-perjury-trial

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 Sith Blog;