Texas criminal watchdogs are expected to tell the state's top forensic panel today that Texas may have falsely convicted about a half dozen people of felony arson based on outdated science.
"We're looking at four or five cases," said Jeff Blackburn, chief counsel for the Innocence Project of Texas. "Those are going to be looked at hard."
Blackburn is scheduled to appear before the Texas Forensic Science Commission in Austin to report on a records examination of hundreds of arson convictions. The effort is aimed at finding examples of junk science similar to that used to convict Cameron Todd Willingham of killing his three daughters, which resulted in a controversial review by the commission. Willingham was executed in 2004.
Blackburn says one or more of the new cases may involve inmates from North Texas.
At the request of the state's top forensic panel, the Texas Innocence Project reviewed 1,025 arson-related crimes in Texas from recent years, and concluded that most don't involve questionable evidence. A small number, maybe a half dozen, may have used scientific processes now deemed to be faulty, Blackburn said.
Blackburn's work, commission members have said, is expected to send a clear message to fire investigators on the proper protocols for handling arson-related cases.
For many months, commissioners have been calling for additional reviews of arson cases like Willingham's after methods used to analyze evidence were called into question.
Source: Star-Telegram, October 4, 2012
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