FBI admits flaws in hair analysis over decades - The Washington Post

"The cases include those of 32 defendants sentenced to death. Of those, 14 have been executed or died in prison, the groups said under an agreement with the government to release results after the review of the first 200 convictions."

FBI Hair Analysts Reportedly Gave Faulty Testimony in 95% of Cases, Sentencing 32 to Death | Mediaite

 

Many of these cases involved the death penalty.

Oops. Dupe thread. Please close this one.

Just another reason for me to continue to be against the death penalty.

This is why I have serious reservations about the death penalty except in only the most obvious of situations.

As I've gotten older I have become more pro-death penalty. This doesn't change my stance. Regardless of the death penalty our justice system has some major flaws in it and manipulating the system is commonplace. At the same time this news is disturbing.

And to clarify for those not reading the article, it does not mean all those were innocent necessarily, it would have been an element of evidence not presented. It doesn't give much info if hair samples were the primary or sole evidence on these cases.

And to clarify for those not reading the article, it does not mean all those were innocent necessarily, it would have been an element of evidence not presented. It doesn't give much info if hair samples were the primary or sole evidence on these cases.

 

Agreed. However, the FBI standing up and saying it was a match HAS to play a huge part in the mind of a juror. It helps eliminate "reasonable doubt."

Yikes...Not a good look.

Agreed. However, the FBI standing up and saying it was a match HAS to play a huge part in the mind of a juror. It helps eliminate "reasonable doubt."

Right. "Helps eliminate" being the operative phrase here. Without knowing these cases some could have been slam dunks without hair samples. Some it could have been the key evidence. Not a good look either way.

FBI = 'Fraudulent Bad Information'?

And to clarify for those not reading the article, it does not mean all those were innocent necessarily, it would have been an element of evidence not presented. It doesn't give much info if hair samples were the primary or sole evidence on these cases.

 

If the cases were such slam dunks, then it's even dumber to do what they did.