Whistling Past the Graveyard: Why It’s So Hard to Rid the Courts of Junk Science
A new book by the Innocence Project’s Chris Fabricant charts the rise and fall of bite-mark evidence and “science” in the service of law enforcement.
Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith is a state and national award-winning investigative journalist based in Kansas City, Missouri. She has covered the criminal legal system for more than 25 years and, during that time, has developed a reputation as a resourceful and dogged reporter with a talent for analyzing complex social and legal issues. She spent more than 20 years reporting in Texas where she was regarded as one of the best investigative reporters in the state. Her investigative work in wrongful conviction cases has helped to exonerate six people. A longtime staff writer for the Austin Chronicle, her work has also appeared in The Nation, the Crime Report, and the Texas Observer, among other places.
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As Execution Looms, Mounting Evidence Points to Melissa Lucio’s Innocence
Trial jurors, forensic experts, and Texas lawmakers push for Lucio’s life to be spared ahead of her April 27 execution.
A Bogus Bite Mark Sent Him to Prison for Murder. Alabama Wants to Keep Him There.
A famed forensic dentist recanted his testimony against Charles McCrory. He may die in prison anyway.
Is Texas Sending Melissa Lucio to Die for a Crime That Never Happened?
Lucio faces execution in April for killing her 2-year-old daughter. Experts say her conviction was based on faulty forensics.
Murderville
“When I Saw Him I Knew It Was Real”: Devonia Inman Is Free After 23 Years Behind Bars
Just over a month after a Georgia judge overturned his wrongful conviction, Inman was reunited with his family in time for Christmas.
The End of Roe
Supreme Court Ruling on Texas Abortion Law Opens Door to Copycat Schemes Everywhere
By leaving the law in place and barring meaningful ways to challenge it, the court greenlighted state efforts to overturn constitutional rights.
The End of Roe
The Future of Abortion Rights Is the Future of Other Fundamental Rights
The Supreme Court appears poised to overturn a half-century of reproductive rights in a decision that could put other legal protections in jeopardy.
Kevin Strickland Comes Home After 43 Years Behind Bars for a Crime He Didn’t Commit
A new Missouri law empowers prosecutors to right wrongful convictions. But the state attorney general is intent on standing in the way.
Murderville
Devonia Inman Sees His Conviction Overturned After 23 Years Behind Bars
Prosecutorial misconduct and deficient lawyering deprived Inman of a fair trial, a judge ruled. Inman’s case was the subject of The Intercept’s “Murderville, Georgia” podcast.
The End of Roe
Texas Admits Its Abortion Law Scheme Puts All Rights Up for Grabs
Several justices wanted to know: If Texas could craft a law to insulate its attack on abortion, what would stop other states from using the same method to target rights they disfavor?