Justices Rule Lab Analysts Must Testify on Results
Court Alerts
Crime laboratory reports may not be used against criminal defendants at trial unless the analysts responsible for creating them give testimony and subject themselves to cross-examination, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a 5-to-4 decision.
The ruling was an extension of a 2004 decision that breathed new life into the Sixth Amendment’s confrontation clause, which gives a criminal defendant the right “to be confronted with the witnesses against him.”
Four dissenting justices said that scientific evidence should be treated differently than, say, statements from witnesses to a crime. They warned that the decision would subject the nation’s criminal justice system to “a crushing burden” and that it means “guilty defendants will go free, on the most technical grounds.”
The two sides differed sharply about the practical consequences of requiring testimony from crime laboratory analysts. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, writing for the four dissenters, said Philadelphia’s 18 drug analysts will now each be required to testify in more than 69 trials next year, and Cleveland’s six drug analysts in 117 trials each.
Related listings
-
Accused Holocaust museum shooter not in court
Court Alerts 06/26/2009Prosecutors said Tuesday that a white supremacist accused of opening fire in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum still hasn't recovered enough to appear in court but has been turned over to the District of Columbia's Corrections Department. Prosecutor...
-
Supreme court to decide federal sex offender law
Court Alerts 06/25/2009The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it would decide whether Congress may adopt a federal law that keeps sex offenders in custody indefinitely after they complete their prison sentences. The high court agreed to hear an Obama administration appeal...
-
Woman pleads guilty, took dead mother's benefits
Court Alerts 06/25/2009A Florida woman accused of hiding her dead mother's body and collecting federal benefits for six years has pleaded guilty to a theft charge. Penelope Jordan pleaded guilty Monday to theft of government property.The 61-year-old woman was arrested in M...
New Rochelle, New York Personal Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP, in New Rochelle, New York, immediately. We can answer all your questions and work with you to determine if you have the grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. The attorneys at our firm are determined to resolve even the most difficult of cases. We will work closely with you to determine the best course of action to get your claim or case resolved in the most efficient way possible. We will fight for your right to compensation! No one should have to suffer a financial burden from the result of another person’s carelessness. The attorneys at Kommer, Bave & Ollman, LLP will aggressively fight to ensure that justice is served on your behalf.