Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
The FBI and Justice Department are launching an unprecedented review of forensic evidence in thousands of criminal cases to ensure no one was wrongly convicted since at least 1985, the Washington Post reports.
The sweeping review includes rape, murder and robbery cases conducted by all FBI Laboratory hair and fiber examiners, people familiar with the process told the Washington Post.
The investigation comes after the newspaper in April reported that Justice Department officials knew of potentially flawed convictions based on bad forensic work.
“The Department and the FBI are in the process of identifying historical cases for review where a microscopic hair examination conducted by the FBI was among the evidence in a case that resulted in a conviction,” spokeswoman Nanda Chitre said in a statement to the Washington Post. “We have dedicated considerable time and resources to addressing these issues, with the goal of reaching final determinations in the coming months.”
