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Turning A Blind Eye To Misleading Scientific Testimony: Failure Of Procedural Safeguards In A Capital Trial, William C. Thompson
Turning A Blind Eye To Misleading Scientific Testimony: Failure Of Procedural Safeguards In A Capital Trial, William C. Thompson
William C Thompson
In September 1999, Robin Lovitt was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a pool hall manager in Arlington, Virginia. The DNA evidence that was a key part of the government’s case was presented in a misleading and unfair manner. In this case study, we first examine the way in which DNA evidence was misused. We then discuss the failure of the legal system at all levels to recognize and remedy this problem. Our goal is to explain how a system that supposedly leaves no stone unturned in capital trials managed to miss or ignore a crucial problem …