Submitted via IRC for ErnestTBass
She Was Fired After Raising Questions About a DNA Test. Now She's Getting $1 Million.
Officials from the chief medical examiner's office in New York City were furious when they heard that Marina Stajic, one of their longest-serving laboratory directors, had openly questioned whether they had sufficiently verified the reliability of a novel form of DNA testing being used in criminal cases.
Ms. Stajic was concerned that incorrect use of the DNA testing technique could lead to wrongful convictions, she said. But her bosses took her questioning in a different light.
"Hold me down," Dr. Barbara Sampson, the city's medical examiner, wrote in an internal email to a colleague in 2014, when she found out that Ms. Stajic had voted on a state panel to compel the office to release a study proving the technique's validity. "She sucks," a lawyer for the office wrote about Ms. Stajic, in another internal email.
Ms. Stajic, who was fired from the medical examiner's office about six months later, sued in 2016, claiming she was pushed out in part because she had challenged the controversial DNA testing technique. On Monday, the city agreed to settle her case for $1 million.
Ms. Stajic, 69, said she felt vindicated. "As a forensic scientist, I am fully aware of the importance of validating each study," she said in an interview. "My concern was if that study was not done, there could be wrongful convictions. And if the wrong people were convicted, that would mean the wrong person would be walking free."
[...] Ms. Stajic's case, even without going to trial, shed light on the inner workings of a city agency that is often assumed to be untouched by political pressure. But the case's bigger legacy may be one bit of information that her attorneys say came out in the lawsuit: They said it proved the city had never performed the study of the DNA technique as it had claimed.
(Score: 1, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Saturday April 27 2019, @06:30PM (5 children)
A million dollars is nice, but medals are great for passing down to your children, grandchildren, and your enemy's children and grandchildren. "My grandma was smarter than your ass-hole grandfather!! And, we have a medal to prove it!"
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 27 2019, @06:36PM (4 children)
The only way DNA testing could work is if *someone* specifically sets each persons individual DNA to ensure no duplicates. Similarly, look at all the unique types of life on Australia, almost as if it was a genetic playground for someone (or something). The other option is ordinary evolution.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Saturday April 27 2019, @07:04PM (3 children)
???? Neither Stajic nor I claim that genetic testing is worthless. It is one particular test, using DNA, that has been brought into question. One, unreliable test that was never verified scientifically. If people don't put unwarranted faith in DNA testing, there's a lot that can be done with it.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Sunday April 28 2019, @01:34AM (2 children)
It's amazing what otherwise supposedly brilliantly intelligent people will trust as absolute and infallible, I had a tough time convincing a "leading scientist in his field" that fingerprint readers on PCs could not be 100% trusted as a single source of identity for patients to automatically retrieve their individual treatment plans.
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/06/24/7408365/
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Sunday April 28 2019, @01:43AM (1 child)
I blame shows like CSI that put in the minds of the public that DNA evidence is 100% accurate and that every case has direct non-circumstantial evidence.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 3, Informative) by JoeMerchant on Sunday April 28 2019, @01:53AM
And, moreso, that prosecutors will not attempt to convict (or at least seek plea bargain) without direct evidence.
Also, that every murder or serious crime gets investigated by a crack team with unlimited time and resources.
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/06/24/7408365/
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday April 27 2019, @06:47PM (8 children)
I think she knew what would happen to her. There is a tendency among law enforcement to be unhappy with things like truth or reality getting in the way of the chase, and they would take any internal dissent as a personal betrayal (because after all only the bad guys would oppose anything LE does, and here we have this bint daring to do it after they took her in, gave her a career, etc...).
She deserves more than just cash. A memorial, for starters. Maybe a foundation that does exactly the kind of independent, third-party validation and auditing this kind of technology calls for, with herself as the head at the very least. If the LEOs aren't doing anything wrong then they have nothing to be afraid of, riiiiiii~ght?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 27 2019, @07:19PM (3 children)
You're just saying that because she's a woman.
(Score: 5, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 27 2019, @08:08PM (2 children)
You're just saying that because she is a woman.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday April 27 2019, @10:24PM (1 child)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 28 2019, @12:21AM
You're just saying that because she is a woman.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bzipitidoo on Saturday April 27 2019, @08:48PM (3 children)
> There is a tendency among law enforcement to be unhappy with things like truth or reality getting in the way of the chase
Oh yes, this was very much "shoot the messenger". Trouble is, law enforcement is a particularly attractive career to the sort of authoritarian dullard who can't understand that it is not disobedient or treasonous to question authority and search for the truth. I am still baffled at their indifference to facts, but that's the way they roll. They'll take a story they find pleasing over the truth any day. When governments are not also filled with the same sort of people, they must have a hell of a time managing their police.
It is of some comfort that in this age of cell phone cameras everywhere and improved DNA testing, these lying, unprincipled law enforcers have at last been outed, repeatedly. Those among the public who believed in the police and who aren't secretly sympathetic to their racism and other bigotries, are having a much harder time hiding from all the news of misguided, overzealous, and downright incompetent police work.
(Score: 5, Informative) by sjames on Saturday April 27 2019, @09:29PM (1 child)
The best explanation is that they don't really care about the law. They care about exerting authority over and causing misery to others right or wrong. The facts just get in the way of that mission.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 28 2019, @12:13AM
as the comedy classic "The other guys" puts it:
Captain Gene Mauch : Fellas, I'm sure you're, uh, familiar with the venerable D.A. Radford. He wanted to come out and pay us a visit.
D.A. Radford : Hello, gentlemen.
Allen Gamble : Hello, sir.
Terry Hoitz : Hey.
D.A. Radford : You know, I was talking to Gene here.
Allen Gamble : He prefers Captain.
D.A. Radford : [ignoring the correction] Yes, well, I was talking to Gene here, and you know, it's funny. I don't know what you two have been up to, but I've been getting calls from people I don't ever get calls from. In the 40 years I've been enforcing the law, I've learned one thing: When that happens, stop.
D.A. Radford : [to Mauch] Gene, how's the family?
Captain Gene Mauch : Good. Good, Louis. Thanks for asking. My son's bisexual.
D.A. Radford : Tremendous.
D.A. Radford : [to Gamble and Hoitz] Gentlemen, do we understand each other? Cut the crap!
Captain Gene Mauch : Will do.
it's totally not about business as usual!
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Sunday April 28 2019, @01:36AM
Actually, it is often insubordinate and usually disobedient - treasonous goes a bit far, but once you've pissed off the people in power they can basically paint you with whatever brush suits them.
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/06/24/7408365/
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 27 2019, @07:01PM (5 children)
If she was really concerned about the validity of the test settling will just let them bury that fact. If they actually had to have a trial and enter evidence, then we could know the truth.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 27 2019, @08:00PM (3 children)
(Score: 2) by sjames on Saturday April 27 2019, @09:43PM (2 children)
The problem is, I find it hard to believe that all of this was a one-off. It reads a lot more like a culture of doing sloppy work and sweeping it under the carpet. Their evidence is being treated as scientific in court, but in fact it looks like they're just modern day witch doctors with more expensive props throwing the bones.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Sunday April 28 2019, @01:39AM
If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit... how quickly we forget. Like Catholic priests molesting young boys, this has gone on, all around the country and the world, since before we were all born, and will likely still be going on long after we're all dead.
So say we all.
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/06/24/7408365/
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday April 28 2019, @02:57AM
Well yes, pseudoscience has a long history in law enforcement. Lie detectors, bite marks, blood typing, trial by water, trial by fire, burning at the stake. That last one is especially beautiful. If you're innocent, an angel will happen along, and extinguish the flames, right?
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 28 2019, @06:46PM
what kind of bitch modded the above post a troll? it's the fucking truth.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 27 2019, @07:25PM
The medical examiner and the office's lawyer should be fired, and the award and legal costs deducted from their pension. A criminal investigation is in order as well.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 27 2019, @08:45PM (2 children)
Nevermind whether the alleged perps are guilty or not!"
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 27 2019, @09:42PM
It's the American way!(tm)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 27 2019, @09:44PM
"If the person is colored, they deserve to get collared"
- Old Law Enforcement Saying
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Booga1 on Saturday April 27 2019, @11:54PM (2 children)
Here's what stood out the most to me:
So they used this technique to convict large numbers of people for about decade. Roll forward to the suit in 2016 and lo-and-behold the forensics lab doesn't need to use this technique anymore!
Yet, what about all those people that were thrown in jail, convicted on flimsy evidence? I would even bet most of them don't even know this technique was used as the basis for the DNA evidence at their trials.
They'll probably never get their convictions reviewed, much less overturned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 28 2019, @01:16AM (1 child)
They would all need to individually challenge their convictions.
I know.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 28 2019, @03:45AM
Enterprising lawyers may be interested in advising people convicted using this technique of their rights?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by gawdonblue on Sunday April 28 2019, @05:46AM (1 child)
"My concern was if that study was not done, there could be wrongful convictions. And if the wrong people were convicted, that would mean the wrong person would be walking free."
It might be just the way I'm reading this, but she seems more concerned that the wrong person is walking free than that the wrong person is incarcerated - which, to me, is a far greater mistake. Maybe this is just how you have to phrase things in the US political world to get noticed.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 28 2019, @06:48PM
she's a pig. she's worried about the bad guy that got away. not the slave that's rotting in a cage.