Faulty forensic science leads to wrongful convictions and executions in the US
By
Joshua Hutchinson and Patrick Purtill, opinion contributors
Fresh out the oven, still warm. Top of the tray.
Summary
This article examines how faulty forensic science (junk science) in American courtrooms leads to wrongful convictions, with at least nine documented cases where innocent people were executed due to unreliable evidence like flawed hair and bloodstain pattern analyses. It highlights the FBI's failures in microscopic hair analysis and emphasizes that wrongful convictions not only punish the innocent but also allow the real perpetrators to remain free and commit more crimes.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledFor a law enforcement officer, the only thing worse than a violent crime going unsolved is when the wrong man or woman is convicted.
If an innocent person goes to prison, investigators stop investigating, and the guilty party is free to victimize again.
We are now learning that wrongful convictions happen more often when junk science is allowed in court.
In at least nine cases, innocent people were put to death, all because faulty forensics were relied on to get a murder conviction.
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