-Caveat Lector- This is the "scientist" who reported out a blood type on motor oil, and whose testimony sent an innocent man to prison for 15 years on a rape conviction. --------- Oklahoma police dismiss scientist Expert a scapegoat, her lawyer says; panel reviewing convictions 09/26/2001 By ARNOLD HAMILTON / The Dallas Morning News OKLAHOMA CITY “ Oklahoma City police chemist Joyce Gilchrist was fired on Tuesday amid a state investigation into allegations that she bungled scientific analysis and gave false or misleading testimony that helped secure hundreds of criminal convictions during the last two decades. In a brief statement, Oklahoma City Police Chief M.T. Berry said Ms. Gilchrist was dismissed because of "laboratory mismanagement, criticism from court challenges and flawed casework analysis." He declined to provide further details, citing "ongoing criminal investigations" and city personnel policies. Ms. Gilchrist's attorney, Melvin Hall, criticized the decision, saying the longtime chemist was "totally and completely a scapegoat." "This woman, until today, had absolutely not a single piece of negative paper in her 21-year personnel file," he said. "It's very, very unfortunate." A task force that includes the state attorney general's office, the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing more than 1,200 cases in which Ms. Gilchrist testified. Bureau spokeswoman Kym Koch said Ms. Gilchrist's dismissal would not affect the task force's work. "Our investigation has nothing to do with the ... personnel hearing" at the Oklahoma City Police Department, Ms. Koch said. "We were asked to look into her work, and that's what we'll continue to do." Ms. Gilchrist's work was thrust into the spotlight earlier this year when she was placed on paid administrative leave after questions were raised about her work. In April, the FBI urged a review of all cases in which her work played a significant role in obtaining a conviction. And in May, authorities released from prison a man who served 15 years after he was wrongly convicted of sexual assault when Ms. Gilchrist misidentified hair evidence. Ms. Gilchrist has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing. Chief Berry said the decision to fire Ms. Gilchrist came after a police review board in August and September heard 14 days of testimony about her work. "Evidence considered in the decision to terminate Joyce Gilchrist was specifically related to the allegations investigated by the Oklahoma City Police Department and the City of Oklahoma City," the Police Department statement said. "Since this action is administrative in nature, and because of ongoing criminal investigations, no further information will be provided regarding her termination." The president of the Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association hailed the decision to terminate Ms. Gilchrist, using the occasion to renew his call for a criminal investigation of her police work. Jack Dempsey Pointer also said he did not believe that Oklahoma City police simply ignored problems with Ms. Gilchrist's scientific analysis and testimony, blaming prosecutors instead. "She was the darling of the Oklahoma County district attorney's office," Mr. Pointer said. "She could take seemingly innocuous evidence and turn it into absolute daggers. "I think she was so cagey and foxy in her evidence-handling that very few people knew exactly what she was doing and saying." Mr. Pointer said he believed it would be proved that others were wrongly convicted because of Ms. Gilchrist's evidence analysis and testimony. The state task force looking into Ms. Gilchrist's cases has targeted for further review 112 of the 680 cases it began analyzing. "So far, the team has concerns with roughly 17 to 20 percent of the cases they've reviewed," Ms. Koch said in a statement released earlier this week. "It's possible further review of court testimony will provide sufficient answers to those concerns. It's also possible further review could result in the evidence being retested." Ms. Gilchrist, who earned a base salary of $59,528, was placed on paid administrative leave last February. Her attorney, Mr. Hall, said she was weighing her legal options following her dismissal. As a first step, her attorney said he wanted to acquire a copy of the police review board's report, in hopes of finding specific information that led to her dismissal. Mr. Hall said he was dismayed that the termination letter “ and the public statement “ offered no details. "Can't they be a little more specific than that?" he said. "They're the ones with the burden of proof. I think their failure to specify dates, times, names “ minimum due process “ speaks volumes to what's really going on here. "She wasn't surprised [by her termination]. She was fully expecting this. It's still disappointing to her. She was hurt by it. She worked hard her entire career. It's like the carpet was pulled out from under her." Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/texas_southwest/480372_okchemist_26t e.html © 2001 DallasNews.com <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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