Evidence

Pal Tipped Plaintiff Attorney about ‘Flea’

One question remained unanswered – until today – about “Flea,” the once-anonymous physician whose biting blogging about his ongoing medical malpractice case recently led to a Perry Mason moment at his Boston trial. How did the plaintiff lawyer learn that the defendant doctor might have authored the blog? Another lawyer…

Jun 4, 2007 9:37 PM CDT

Best Buy Lawyer Says He Altered Documents

An outside attorney defending Best Buy in a consumer class action has admitted he altered discovery documents in the case, prompting his law firm to file a withdrawal motion. Timothy Block reported his actions to the Minnesota Board of Professional Responsibility and is on medical leave for stress and depression,…

Jun 4, 2007 1:42 PM CDT

Execution for Tex. Woman in Baby Case?

An unusual execution of a woman may be about to take place in Texas. If so, it would be only the 12th in the entire country since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1977. Well over 1,000 men have been executed during that time. Cathy Lynn Henderson,…

May 31, 2007 12:33 AM CDT

ME Disputes Suicide Theory in Spector Trial

A Los Angeles medical examiner said bruises on the wrist of actress Lana Clarkson and the position of her purse on her shoulder indicate her death was not a suicide. Record producer Phil Spector is on trial for allegedly murdering Clarkson at his mansion. His lawyers contend she shot herself…

May 30, 2007 5:35 PM CDT

Evidence of Abuse Frees Calif. Woman

A California woman initially convicted of murdering her abusive husband was released yesterday after serving 16 years in prison, in the first of perhaps dozens of such cases that could be retried under a 2002 state law that attempts to redress past injustices. Hudie Joyce Walker, now 65, said her…

May 30, 2007 5:15 PM CDT

Terrorist Informants’ Role Questioned

Defense lawyers and friends of some accused terrorists are focusing on informants, saying they exploited and entrapped defendants for money. Those kinds of accusations have taken a toll on the informant who helped convict Shahawar Matin Siraj, a Pakistani immigrant accused of conspiracy to bomb a New York subway station,…

May 29, 2007 3:37 PM CDT

N.Y. Gov. Wants Expansive DNA Collection

Those who are convicted of any misdemeanor in New York would have to submit DNA for a criminal database, under a plan by the state’s governor. Few states have such an expansive DNA collection law, according to the New York Times. It would apply to misdemeanors such as harassment and…

May 14, 2007 1:27 PM CDT

Psychologist Settles BTK Tape Suit

A psychologist hired to interview the BTK killer has agreed to pay $30,000 to settle charges he profited from a videotape of Dennis Rader’s comments. After the tape ended up on Dateline NBC, the state of Kansas sued Massachusetts psychologist Robert Mendoza, along with an associate and their company, Cambridge…

May 11, 2007 4:37 PM CDT

PET Scan Scrutinized in Fashion Writer’s Trial

The defense in the sex abuse trial of former fashion writer Peter Braunstein called a psychiatrist to testify and showed slides of the defendant’s brain. The psychiatrist pointed to blue colors in a PET scan of mostly red, orange and yellow, and said they were evidence of schizophrenia, according to…

May 11, 2007 2:46 PM CDT

Japanese Cases Spotlight False Confession

False confessions are a problem in Japan, where recent cases highlight abuses in police interrogation methods. In one case detailed by the New York Times, a judge acquitted six people who had confessed to buying votes with liquor, money and parties. Police had ordered one of the suspects to shout…

May 11, 2007 1:29 PM CDT

Police Class-Action Ruse Doesn’t Bar DNA

The Washington Supreme Court has affirmed the second-degree murder conviction of a man who provided DNA by licking and mailing an envelope to police posing as plaintiffs lawyers. In a decision (PDF) issued today, the court said there is no inherent privacy interest in saliva used for identification purposes, and…

May 10, 2007 7:01 PM CDT

Would-Be Terrorist Plots and Talks on Tape

Tapes of an accused terrorist played in the trial of a physician who is alleged to be a co-conspirator reveal a plot that was long on talk and short on actions, according to the New York Times. In the tapes, Tarik Shah explains how to “rip somebody’s throat out” and…

May 8, 2007 2:11 PM CDT

Bills Would Increase Access to DNA Evidence

A former bank teller exonerated of rape by DNA evidence spoke at a news conference yesterday in support of new laws making it easier for inmates to prove their innocence. Bills pending in New York would regulate storage of DNA crime evidence and give judges more authority to order DNA…

May 4, 2007 2:17 PM CDT

DNA Exonerations Suggest Racial Inequities

A closer look at the 200 cases in which inmates were exonerated by DNA evidence suggests that minorities are more often victims of wrongful convictions, especially in some rape cases. Eight-five percent of exonerated rapists were black men accused of assaulting white women, the Washington Post reports. Yet black men…

May 3, 2007 2:52 PM CDT

Massive Colo. Gang Sweep, Football Murder Tie

Authorities in Denver conducted a massive sweep at dawn today and arrested dozens of alleged street gang members. The case reportedly involved extensive wiretapping and has developed information concerning the Jan. 1 drive-by murder of a professional football player. Today’s sweep, conducted by federal and local law enforcement, was the…

Apr 27, 2007 12:06 AM CDT