The Department of Justice considers coroners to be stakeholders in determining the efficacy of forensics analysis methods, failing to distinguish them from medical examiners, although – in many locations across the United States – coroners are elected officials with no medical training whatsoever.
That’s deceptive, to be sure, but not as deceptive as the DoJ’s take on just who should be considered criminal justice stakeholders to begin with.
The real stakeholders in the efficacy of forensics analysis presented in criminal trials are the defendants and their families, the victims and/or their survivors, and the public at large. If the right people are convicted, all of the stakeholders’ needs are met. If the wrong people are convicted, all of the stakeholders’ losses begin to build exponentially until there is no amount of compensation that can cover them.
I’ve independently advocated for incarcerated innocents since 2004. I want this to be the final year I feel the need to do so. If there are hearts and minds to be changed, this is the year to do it. If there is heartless, mindless resistance to a sea change in criminal justice, this is the year to undo it. Here’s why.
I started this blog post the day before my oldest sister died. My blog has been silent since, save updates to old posts. Her passing was painful, and unexpected; Shingles is rarely fatal. The timing could have been worse, but just barely – it was four days before Christmas.
Had I been able to get out from under the corruption that keeps me impoverished, we’d have been able to spend more time together over the years – she lived over a thousand miles away. So I plan on going full out to get my life back this year. There are other people far, far away that I want to spend time with before their time (or mine) is up. I’ve already started changing my tactics, and even given those tactics a label, “Shake it Up, Baby.” Wish me luck!
Wobbly Warrior's Blog 