TheAgitator.com
Alabama To Revisit 100 Autopsies Performed by Discredited Medical Examiner
Friday, April 10th, 2009A mother in Alabama was released after nine months in prison when several forensic pathologists said Alabama medical examiner Dr. Corinne Stern misdiagnosed an infant’s cause of death. The state’s chief medical examiner now plans to re-open 100 prior homicide cases in which Stern performed the autopsy.
The judge said in 30 years of law practice he had never seen an expert make a mistake so bad. He praised District Attorney Chris McCool for listening to a defense expert who raised the first red flags about the flawed autopsy.
“What has happened in this courtroom today is absolutely unprecedented,” said Moore.
Police found out about the baby when a couple who had been lined up to adopt the child called authorities. Lee told police what happened, but Stern’s autopsy concluded the baby was suffocated.
The body had bruises on the forehead and mouth, she wrote, indicating the use of force.
Once Lee’s defense questioned the autopsy, McCool got other experts to review the case. Evidence during the hearing showed six different forensics experts found the baby died of pneumonia caused by an infection and was stillborn. What Stern thought were bruises were actually signs of decomposition.
Stern is now working as the medical examiner for Webb County, Texas.
Troubling as Stern’s mistake is, the DA, judge, and chief medical examiner in Alabama deserve a ton of credit for recognizing the problem, addressing it head-on instead of covering it up, and taking measures to see what other damage Stern may have done during her time in Alabama.
Mississippi, are you listening?
-PUTS HANDS OVER EARS, CLOSES EYES TIGHTLY!-
LALALALALALALALALALALALALA! I DIDN’T HEAR ANYTHING!
People in Alabama probably read this column and figured they’d better handle this right or you’d make them look like another Mississippi. If there’s anything Alabamians hate, it’s being grouped with Mississippi.
I think that this is great, and will probably have more immediate impact than another story about Hayne/West. This is not to minimize Radley’s fine work, but only to state there is a strong peer-pressure effect among jurisdictions. They can dismiss reporters as the “other” but fellow judges and politicians, less so.
Of course, another factor is that an attractive middle class white woman was wrongly accused of the death of child, not a poor black man accused of murder.
Dave Krueger wrote:
“If there’s anything Alabamians hate, it’s being grouped with Mississippi.”
As an Alabamian, I have to say that is entirely accurate. The state’s unofficial motto is: “Well, at least we’re not Mississippi.”
Roll Tide.
But it will take 100 of these stories to make up for one Hayne, as far as credibility of the “system” is concerned.
@SJE
You’re probably correct that Radley’s stories are likely to be less impactful than these court actions, however the object of the news stories should not be just to rectify the immediate injustice.
Hayne, West and the prosecutors who worked with them are unlikely to be shamed into doing anything, but the others who work in the criminal justice system might see that they’re being watched after an expose like Radley’s and watch their backs a bit more.
Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Peter: I am not trying to minimize any of Radley et als contribution. They are essential to moving this issue forward, and I hope they will continue. All I am saying is the politicians notice what other politicians are doing, judges to judges etc. Most human behavior is not based on some dispassionate look at the evidence, but on social inertia.
I just emailed this post to the public defender in Webb County.
If someone else wanted to email to the county commissioners, you can find their names here (no emails):
http://www.webbcountytx.gov/
According to an update from the Associated Press News, Dr. Corinne Stern’s attorney says she stands by her findings.
Well, DUH! So do Hayne and West.
Well you guys can HELP by signing my PETITION to Mississippi to RE-OPEN the cases!
Here’s the link…pass it on!
http://www.gopetition.com/online/25939.html
What a wonderful way to get away with murder; make it look like suicide. Suspected suicide autopsy’s should be scrutinized to keep our killers honest and our people alive. Where is our conscience? How can we live with ourselves?