In this episode of One Minute Remaining, I sit down with defence attorney Michael Leonard—known to OMR listeners as “the voice of reason.” Together, we break down the case of Charles McCrory, convicted on the basis of contested bite mark evidence. Michael gives his expert take on the original trial, the evidence presented, and the long and complex appeals process that has followed. This in-depth conversation looks at what went wrong, the challenges of overturning a conviction, and what McCrory’s story reveals about the U.S. justice system.One Minute Remaining LIVE in Melbourne get your tix now Join the One Minute Remaining Jury via Appl + HERE and get OMR early and ad free for as little as $1.69 a week!Become a Jury member on Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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22:38
Junk Science and the US Justice System - Chris Fabricant
Today I sit down with Chris Fabricant, Director of Strategic Litigation at the Innocence Project and author of Junk Science and the American Criminal Justice System. From his early days as a New York public defender to leading the fight against flawed forensic techniques, Fabricant shares his personal journey and the urgent mission behind his work.Together, they dive deep into the controversial world of junk science, with a sharp focus on bite mark analysis, a discredited practice that has contributed to multiple wrongful convictions. Fabricant explains how faulty forensic methods continue to corrupt the justice system, and why science must be held to higher standards in courtrooms across America.As Chris unpacks the troubling history and lasting consequences of forensic pseudoscience, this conversation is a must-listen to help understand how 'Science' isn't always as solid a foundation for truth as one might think. One Minute Remaining LIVE in Melbourne get your tix now Join the One Minute Remaining Jury via Appl + HERE and get OMR early and ad free for as little as $1.69 a week!Become a Jury member on Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Convicted on Bite Mark Evidence P6: The Charles McCrory Case
In 1985, Charles McCrory found his wife, Julie Bonds, brutally murdered in their Andalusia, Alabama, home. Just two small marks on her arm—misrepresented in court as a definitive “bite mark”—became the sole forensic evidence used to convict him for her murder.A forensic odontologist, famed for testifying at Ted Bundy’s trial, claimed the impressions matched McCrory’s like a fingerprint. Yet decades later, that same expert fully recanted the testimony, acknowledging the scientific consensus now recognises bite mark evidence as unreliable “junk science”.With no blood, no DNA, and hair in the victim’s hand that didn’t match McCrory’s, his conviction rested entirely on this flawed forensic interpretation. Over 40 years later, even as two independent forensic dentists testified that the so called bite mark was never human, Alabama courts repeatedly denied him a new trial, judging that his lengthy imprisonment still stood, and that procedural hurdles outweighed modern scienceIn July 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review his case. Justice Sotomayor warned that wrongful convictions like his, based on “faulty science,” are startlingly common and urged state and federal lawmakers to enact stronger safeguards to prevent miscarriages of justice.One Minute Remaining LIVE in Melbourne get your tix now Join the One Minute Remaining Jury via Appl + HERE and get OMR early and ad free for as little as $1.69 a week!Become a Jury member on Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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24:30
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24:30
Convicted on Bite Mark Evidence P5: The Charles McCrory Case
In 1985, Charles McCrory found his wife, Julie Bonds, brutally murdered in their Andalusia, Alabama, home. Just two small marks on her arm—misrepresented in court as a definitive “bite mark”—became the sole forensic evidence used to convict him for her murder.A forensic odontologist, famed for testifying at Ted Bundy’s trial, claimed the impressions matched McCrory’s like a fingerprint. Yet decades later, that same expert fully recanted the testimony, acknowledging the scientific consensus now recognises bite mark evidence as unreliable “junk science”.With no blood, no DNA, and hair in the victim’s hand that didn’t match McCrory’s, his conviction rested entirely on this flawed forensic interpretation. Over 40 years later, even as two independent forensic dentists testified that the so called bite mark was never human, Alabama courts repeatedly denied him a new trial, judging that his lengthy imprisonment still stood, and that procedural hurdles outweighed modern scienceIn July 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review his case. Justice Sotomayor warned that wrongful convictions like his, based on “faulty science,” are startlingly common and urged state and federal lawmakers to enact stronger safeguards to prevent miscarriages of justice.One Minute Remaining LIVE in Melbourne get your tix now Join the One Minute Remaining Jury via Appl + HERE and get OMR early and ad free for as little as $1.69 a week!Become a Jury member on Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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27:22
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27:22
Convicted on Bite Mark Evidence P4: The Charles McCrory Case
In 1985, Charles McCrory found his wife, Julie Bonds, brutally murdered in their Andalusia, Alabama, home. Just two small marks on her arm—misrepresented in court as a definitive “bite mark”—became the sole forensic evidence used to convict him for her murder.A forensic odontologist, famed for testifying at Ted Bundy’s trial, claimed the impressions matched McCrory’s like a fingerprint. Yet decades later, that same expert fully recanted the testimony, acknowledging the scientific consensus now recognises bite mark evidence as unreliable “junk science”.With no blood, no DNA, and hair in the victim’s hand that didn’t match McCrory’s, his conviction rested entirely on this flawed forensic interpretation. Over 40 years later, even as two independent forensic dentists testified that the so called bite mark was never human, Alabama courts repeatedly denied him a new trial, judging that his lengthy imprisonment still stood, and that procedural hurdles outweighed modern scienceIn July 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review his case. Justice Sotomayor warned that wrongful convictions like his, based on “faulty science,” are startlingly common and urged state and federal lawmakers to enact stronger safeguards to prevent miscarriages of justice.One Minute Remaining LIVE in Melbourne get your tix now Join the One Minute Remaining Jury via Appl + HERE and get OMR early and ad free for as little as $1.69 a week!Become a Jury member on Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About One Minute Remaining - Stories from the inmates
In 'One Minute Remaining' I speak with inmates serving lengthy prison sentences for a range of different crimes. From arson to robbery, attempted murder and even murder itself and everything in between.I'm not here to try and prove them innocent or guilty, what I am here to do is allow them the chance to tell their stories. We'll look at the case's against them and allow them to tell us their accounts of the events that lead up to their incarceration.Join the OMR Family and help support the show in a way that suits you, plus get bonus content, all the links are here HOTLINE:03 5294 0569Got a Question about a case? comment or just thoughts you'd like to share. Call the OMR hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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