finalzero

I found this article very disturbing.. It's based in the US however has implications far wider and here in the UK as well.

Specifically cases where the goverment has taken away children from innocent parents to cases such as people wrongly accused based on false 'expert testimonies' (how many of those have come to light recently).

Manufacturing Guilt?: Experts say this exclusive video shows a dental examiner creating the bite marks that put a man on death row. - Reason Magazine

hodgy0_2

apperently alot of this in the states as been caused by the prevelence of the CSI type telly programs

if a techie bloke in a white coat and a torch on his head says is true then they tend to be believed coz they usually get it right on telly after all

nearer home you only have to look at the evidence barry george got convicted on (and Colin Stagg for that matter) to realise they dont need alot of "evidence"

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

Colin Stagg was never found guilty - the case was thrown out.

The problem with the Barry George evidence wasn't the expert, but the CPS who "sexed up" a piece of evidence that the expert said wasn't very important.

And this particular case highlights the danger of experts-for-hire, not the use of experts per se. If your chance of employment depends on getting the result that is wanted, then there pressure is there to manufacture evidence. FWIW, in this country it's the defence scientists who are paid (effectively) by results; the prosecution ones are mostly on contracts that mean they get the same money no matter what they say.



M

hodgy0_2

Meridan, just for the record I know the case against Colin Stag was thrown
i was just making the point that in the Stag case too much credence was given to the "expert" psychologist Paul Britton

its a scandal that it got as far as it did

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

I agree about Paul Brittain: for a so-called expert he has been wrong pretty much every time he has ever been employed. But somehow he still gets the work.



M