brandon mayfield spent two weeks in jail, falsely accused because of sloppy investigative work. does that make you feel safe?
From Spain and U.S. at Odds on Mistaken Terror Arrest:
The bizarre tale began days after the attack, when the F.B.I., after receiving several fingerprint images from Spain, said it had found a match to the digital image of a print from the blue bag, which held seven copper detonators like those used on the train bombs. Mr. Mayfield's prints were in the F.B.I.'s central database of more than 44 million prints because they had been taken when he joined the military, where he served for eight years before being honorably discharged as a second lieutenant.
The F.B.I. officials concluded around March 20 that it was a "100 percent match," to Mr. Mayfield, according to court records and prosecutors in Portland. They informed their Spanish counterparts on April 2 and included Mr. Mayfield's prints in a letter to them.
But after conducting their own tests, Spanish law enforcement officials said they reported back to the F.B.I. in an April 13 memo that the match was "conclusively negative." Yet for for five weeks, F.B.I. officials insisted their analysis was correct.
...
A Senate aide who also attended a Congressional briefing said there was great concern about the impact the Mayfield mistake would have. "This is going to kill prosecutors for years every time they introduce a fingerprint ID by the F.B.I.," the aide said. "The defense will be saying `is this a 100 percent match like the Mayfield case?' "
Comments
In a strange way, it does make me feel safe.
On two accounts. It's been corrected, which, to me, means that perhaps some of those jailed in GitMo may have their records and arrest papers looked at.
And number two. I would like to know that a criminal was carried out, and responded to, rather than just let go.
What if there was no system? I'm glad that the flawed system is being worked on. At least, I hope it's being worked on. any evidence that it is being corrected, other than this article?
Posted by: hk | June 7, 2004 6:59 AM
I'm afraid that the only reason this (stupid, inexcusable) mistake was corrected is because this is such a high profile case. How many people have been put to death on worse evidence?
What if there was no justice? If such a frightening illustration of our busted system is taken as evidence that the system works then war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength.
Posted by: sudama | June 7, 2004 12:32 PM