DNA clears man despite police lab's refusal to do test

[NeoConsSuck]

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Authorities are reviewing the conviction of a man imprisoned for a 1992 rape after he was cleared by DNA tests that the original lab analyst refused to conduct.

Marlon Pendleton's lawyers received the results of the new tests Wednesday and filed a motion seeking to vacate his conviction. Prosecutors were reviewing the case and Pendleton's conviction in another rape, said John Gorman, spokesman for State's Attorney Richard Devine.

<snip>
Pendleton demanded DNA testing after his arrest, but police lab analyst Pamela Fish said there wasn't enough genetic material to test the evidence. Pendleton was convicted based on the victim's identification.

The expert who conducted the new tests, Brian Wraxall of Serological Research Institute, said Wednesday he was surprised at Fish's report "because I found a reasonable amount of DNA."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/24/rape.dna.ap/index.html

[acmavm]

1. I think that there's a lot of those kinds of decisions made in

police labs.

[Raster]

2. Yessiree, can't have that evidence contradicting the officer's testimony,

now can we?

[Zhade]

11. "Cops are spotless! Cops are pure!"

Yeah - not nearly as many of them are as some here seem to think.

[Akoto]

3. Sounds like the Nancy Grace school of justice.

"To hell with evidence! He looks pretty guilty to me, so lets lock him up!"

[truthisfreedom]

4. 14 years of his life gone, and all because they had to get a collar.

our police system is literally without real conscience... only ego and ass-covering.

[qazplm]

5. this doesnt appear to have anything to do

with the police system, but one possibly disturbed or just plain incompetent woman who fouled up either accidentally or purposefully some DNA tests.

I would say what this really sets the standard for is to have samples tested twice by two unrelated agencies.

[Umbram]

6. Gee...going on a victim ID alone isn't enough?

I expect some people to take the "science-be-damned, he's guilty!" attitude in rape cases, but one would think a lab analyst would be more...oh...i dunno...reasonable?

[buddysmellgood]

7. Wisconsin, a formerly progressive state, just passed an advisory referendum to

approve the death penalty where there is dna evidence.

[Oak2004]

8. Oh my

Pam Fish was a close friend of mine when I was a kid. I haven't seen her since 8th grade (she has refused contact with us former schoolmates) but I knew she worked in the police lab.

I'm sorry I have nothing useful to add to this discussion. I'm just weirded out by this.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

9. Fish's decisions elsewhere smell like a rotting lake trout.

She has a growing number of critics, even among some prosecutors.

[Joe Chi Minh]

10. Such officials need to be personally sued, personally held accountable.

In the UK, the public picks up the tab for any kind of malfeasance.

[AX10]

12. There is no accountability when it comes to the government.