Defrosting Cold Cases

An Orleans Parish Criminal District Court judge today granted a new trial for Michael Anderson in the 2006 Central City massacre that left five teenagers dead, agreeing with the defense team that prosecutors violated the rules at his August trial that ended with a jury condemning Anderson to death row. “The ends of justice require that [...]

Tags: Capital Punishment, Crime Scene, Discovery, Evidence, Jailhouse Informants, Louisiana, Police, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Victim, Video Tapped Testimony, Witnesses

Past Wednesday, defense attorney Kathleen Cannon accused Vista-based prosecutors of repeatedly withholding evidence that could favor accused criminals, an action that could potentially jeopardize a defendant’s right to a fair trial. Cannon argued to Superior Court Judge Harry Elias that there has been “a continuing pattern of failure” by prosecutors to supply evidence that could be important to [...]

Tags: Actual Innocence, California, Crime Labs, Discovery, DNA, Evidence, Faulty Evidence, Finger Printing, Forensics, Miscarriage of Justice, Partial Finger Printing, Police, Victim, Witnesses