Detroit police lab closed: Audit found serious errors in many cases

by duo | September 30, 2008 at 10:20 am

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Detroit officials are to be commended for not trying to cover up problems in its justice system. My family would have preferred if our own justice struggle had been met with such open disclosure. (See http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com/ )

An audit revealed major problems in Detroit's crime lab, and rather than try to hide this, officials there are taking positive steps. See the excerpt from the news article below:

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International Herald Tribune

By Nick Bunkley

Sept. 26, 2008

DETROIT: The Police Department here shut down its crime laboratory on Thursday after an audit uncovered serious errors in numerous cases. The audit said sloppy work had probably resulted in wrongful convictions, and officials expect a wave of appeals in cases that the laboratory processed. . . . . "We do not want any of our activities to result in someone being imprisoned that doesn't belong there," the Wayne County prosecutor, Kym Worthy, said at a news conference with Cockrel and Barren. Worthy said the mistakes also might have let violent criminals remain at large."

Article link: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/26/america/26detroit.php

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Detroit's officials are committed to seeing that innocent people are not suffering unjust incarceration. This is commendable! Apparently, Detroit has made a good mayoral choice recently, and Ms. Worthy shows herself to be more honorable by caring that innocent people may be unjustly imprisoned due to crime lab errors. This honesty in public officials is refreshing, considering that many prosecutors across America actually fight against testing DNA evidence in death penalty matters, choosing to risk executing innocent people rather than admit wrongful prosecution. Many prosecutors would prefer to execute possibly innocent citizens than agree to hold new trials when evidence becomes available after the final appeal in murder cases. Congratulations, Detroit!

I wish everyone in law enforcement and government were as forthcoming with information about errors as these people seem to be. Read about my family's continuous justice quest following the secret arrest and wrongful death of my mentally ill brother in Shelby County/ Memphis, TN Jail in IndyMedia.com. Unfortunately, rather than attempting to solve this gross injustice, the forces that be are apparently more interested in censorship and intimidation against the deceased's family.

Censorship in America to Keep Secret the Wrongful Death of Mental Patient

http://publish.indymedia.org/en/2008/09/913787.shtml

In fact, I'm not even the administrator of my own computer any longer. I am not able to close the microphone on it, and my browser is not allowed to open certain sites. I have replaced the hard drive in this computer just one month ago, and have a total of five computers, bought after each one was sent various spyware and viruses. I cannot run Microsoft virus scan and spyware removal, because a person has to be her own computer's administrator in order to do that. The virus and spyware removal systems that I purchase from computer stores get zapped in a hurry. Maybe my trolls own the satellites.

It can be an inconvenience later to teach children to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag every morning of their young lives, as I did. They will come to believe they have every right to equal justice under the law and insist upon it for themselves, their families, and for their fellow citizens.

Sometimes, people in positions of power take things too far in lying, sneaking, and intimidating citizens. I am amazed that witnesses for the State in the Troy Davis matter have signed affidavits recanting their testimony at his original murder trial and claim they were coerced by police into giving false testimony. It would be far better if all authorities were more like the leadership in Detroit, who stepped up and admitted an error and are taking steps to correct it, not hiding their failures through censorship and intimidation.

Working class citizens in a democracy should never be treated as less than dogs to protect a few big dogs with money and power.

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Mary Neal
Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill
http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com

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Sputnic

at 12:12 on September 30th, 2008

Good stuff duo wish I could flag your story but I am on a mobile at the moment.

duo

at 12:59 on September 30th, 2008

Thanks, Sputnic! Maybe someone else will, since it's my Birthday! Lots of things I would rather be doing than typing, but people chase me in cars when I leave my home. No, really. You just read our court record in USDC, Northern District of Georgia (Atlanta Div.), 1:07-cv-1935, docket no. 22, final paragraph. First, you would have to get a free PACER account at this link: http://www.gand.uscourts.gov/pacer.htm.

My calls to 911 are apparently on the "do not respond" list. I did not know there was such a list until Friday night! But, apparently there are citizens who are on the "let's dog her out" list, and emergency calls from such lowly people get no attention whatsoever. I GUESS IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHO'S DOING THE CHASING -- BIG DOGS OR LITTLE ONES!

I am going to get myself a copy of that 911 tape with my distress call. I was quite facinated by Nicole Brown's distress calls that played on television in the days after O.J. Simpson's arrest for her murder. Funny how our distress - Nicole's and mine - seem to have a common link. Good thing I have subpoenas and that so many people heard me make the 911 call that never got any response. One customer in the Chevron where I took cover was so distressed for me that she and her daughter waited in their car in the parking lot, thinking that police would be there soon. But, it was a "no show." Don't throw away the tape, y'all!

So, here I am, stuck at home in front of the computer on my Birthday. If people were a little smarter, they'd rather I be out shopping.

Mary

Sputnic

at 12:12 on September 30th, 2008

Good stuff duo wish I could flag your story but I am on a mobile at the moment.

duo

at 14:22 on September 30th, 2008

You know what I believe? The real reason why Communist and Imperialist governments want their citizens to believe there is no God is because that leaves the government as the highest power on earth! Folks who derived from a big bang (banging what is still unexplained) don't have empowering Words like these:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. ~ Haggai 2.5

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ~ Ephesians 6:13

In Ephesians, there is a detailed description of the "armour of God." One thing to note is that there is a covering for the entire body, but the Christian's back is exposed. Christians are always to face their enemies - never turn and run.

Now do you see why it is important to make atheists out of a population in order to have a successful dictatorship?

Folks should have read the wrongful death of Larry Neal website more carefully more than a year ago. It says at this link: http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com/larry/larry01.html

Some of Larry’s relatives may still be embarrassed about his irrational behavior, having been teased often about our “crazy” relative. But I am not ashamed to say I had a handsome, loving, and very intelligent brother named Larry Morris Neal, and he was mentally ill. It is painful to consider the possible scenarios under which Larry may have died: Mace? Taser blasts? A heart attack brought on by terrifying hallucinations due to deprivation of Larry’s psychiatric drugs? We will never quit trying to uncover the truth about Larry’s secret incarceration and death. Larry’s family has a right to full disclosure.

Mary

duo

at 22:28 on September 30th, 2008

Hello, fellow authors. I won't be posting for a couple of days -- gotta get some discovery in the mail and the video posted. I don't have but 12 supoenas so far, so that will be a snap to finish. Funny thing is that the dates in our court case keep getting convoluted, so maybe we'll have more time added. I learned not to take chances, though. So, I'll just check my mail here at NowPublic for a few days! Thanks.

Mary