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Ashland's annual Bavarian Night fundraiser coming Medford schools superintendent gets high marks Gold Hill will install cameras in City Hall to monitor employees 10 things to know for Tuesday Since You Asked: School zone speed limit always 20 mph Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, March 3 California homicide leads to arrest in Talent Fire torches trailer of hay off Crater Lake Avenue Volunteers help police nab three graffiti suspects in a week Emergency services, March 2 Politics and Elections Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Education Medford schools superintendent gets high marks St. Mary's robotics team qualifies for state competition LIFEArt plans to open gallery in Medford MSD considers adding a health center at one of the city's high schools Absenteeism in Oregon schools prompts bill that would tie funding to attendance, not enrollment Environment The new normal under climate change? Lost Creek Lake algae bloom subsides Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday State News Oregon traveler who was detained in East Timor headed home Appeals court upholds protection for threatened seabird after timber industry challenge Oregon House votes to ban sale of e-cigarettes to minors Oregon considers banning non-medical vaccine exemptions Bill to dissolve Cover Oregon heads to Governor Brown Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Clara "Jackie" Bean Mae Kathleen Quaccia Joseph (Joe) Torres Margaret M. Moffitt Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Virginia garners ACC crowns with victory over Syracuse Kersey remembered at service Tempers flare in Heat win over Suns RESULTS / STANDINGS LOCAL EVENTS Varsity 541 College Sports Virginia garners ACC crowns with victory over Syracuse Raiders play for tourney title tonight Learning Curve Ducks beat Cardinal, clinch Pac-12 tourney bye Oregon upsets No. 19 Stanford Pro Sports Kersey remembered at service Tempers flare in Heat win over Suns To tag or not to tag an NFL quandary Kings Conquered Poulter, Casey share lead at Honda Community Sports Business Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Chrysler 300 Harry & David announces new president CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Local businesses still feeling effects of port slowdown Blog: Costco teams up with Citi for its next credit card Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business People in Business Transportation CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Harry & David announces new president Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Opinion Latest Landgren cartoon: Speeding up baseball Letters to the Editor, March 3 Michael Gerson: Scott Walker's cynical comments on faith Kent Bush: Minnie Minoso was famous for the right reasons Matthew T. Mangino: Bite-mark analysis — science or charlatanry Editorials Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government Other Views: Brown's list of challenges is lengthy Our View: School attendance bill could backfire Our View: Higher education still getting too little Our View: Adjusting for unintended consequences Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 3 Letters to the Editor, March 2 Letters to the Editor, March 1 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 28 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 27 Columns Michael Gerson: Scott Walker's cynical comments on faith Kent Bush: Minnie Minoso was famous for the right reasons Dana Milbank: Jeb Bush, CPAC pinata Charles Krauthammer: The fatal flaw in the Iran deal GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Guest Opinions GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Guest Opinion: Don't overregulate Oregon's hemp industry Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Lifestyle Latest stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Chrysler 300 Community blog: Pizza is a canvas for season's freshest veggies Food for Thought: Get creative with after-school snacks Shayne Looper: The boot is now on the other foot Dr. Elaine Heffner: How much freedom should we allow kids? Food Community blog: Pizza is a canvas for season's freshest veggies Food for Thought: Get creative with after-school snacks Gail Ciampa: Curried cauliflower soup gets creaminess from coconut Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Community blog: Support local CSA farms by signing up Saturday Home and Garden Paul Rogers: Looking for signs of new life Home Help: Enhance your home-office experience Specialty painting adds wow to your walls Dear Monty: Home seller questions agent ethics Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Health HealthStyle: Marriage care and maintenance Community blog: How I Became Radical: The Power of Acceptance Community blog: The Guest List: Check! Health Watch: Sticking to your health plan when your family isn’t helping Community blog: Finding Your Indomitable Spirit to Defeat Addiction Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories SOU Percussion Group presents 'Timber' TMTO presents 'Bye Bye Birdie' Ashland High School presents 'Leading Ladies' Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory Theater 'Guys and Dolls' a sure bet for dazzling entertainment 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage TMTO presents 'Bye Bye Birdie' Review: OSF elevates the neglected 'Pericles' Review: In "Much Ado," why not let Shakespeare be Shakespeare? Music SOU Percussion Group presents 'Timber' Ashland High School presents 'Leading Ladies' Rogue Valley Symphony showcases Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Gold Hill will install cameras in City Hall to monitor employees ... Oregon traveler who was detained in East Timor headed home ... Get Up & Go: Tuesday, March 3 ... Gold Hill will install cameras in City Hall to monitor employees ... Oregon traveler who was detained in East Timor headed home ... Get Up & Go: Tuesday, March 3 ... Matthew T. Mangino: Bite-mark analysis — science or charlatanry By Matthew T. Mangino More Content Now MailTribune.com By Matthew T. Mangino More Content Now Posted Mar. 2, 2015 @ 8:06 am By Matthew T. Mangino More Content Now Posted Mar. 2, 2015 @ 8:06 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> At least 24 individuals charged or convicted, of murder or rape, based at least in part on identifying bite marks on the flesh of victims have been exonerated since 2000, according to the Innocence Project. Many of those individuals spent time behind bars. A small group of dentists belonging to the American Society of Forensic Odontologists are responsible for the proliferation of bite mark analysis. Those dentists’ findings are often key evidence in prosecutions — even though there is no scientific proof that teeth can be matched definitively to a bite into human skin. The FBI doesn’t use it, and the American Dental Association does not recognize it. Now The Washington Post is sounding the alarm in an in-depth four-part series on the legitimacy of bite-mark analysis. “Bite-mark evidence is the poster child for unreliable forensic science,” Chris Fabricant, director of strategic litigation at the New York-based Innocence Project told The Associated Press. According to the Post, there are hundreds of people in prison due to bite-mark testimony, including at least 15 on death row. In 2009, a National Academy of Sciences report on the state of forensic science in courtroom across the country was highly critical of a wide range of forensic specialties, from fingerprints to hair and fiber analysis to blood spatter and bite marks. Bite-mark analysts look at indentations found in human skin thought to be caused by human teeth. According to the Post, analysts first confirm the marks are actually a human bite. They then compare those marks to plaster molds taken of the teeth of one or more suspects. The NAS report was particularly critical of that process. The report found that there is “no science on the reproducibility of the different methods of analysis” of bite marks. The report concluded, “Different experts provide widely different results.” One notable case of faulty bite-mark analysis involved a Pennsylvania native convicted in Ray Krone, the so-called “Snaggletooth Killer,” was convicted in 1992. After winning a new trial, he was convicted again in 1996 of the murder of a Phoenix woman. Krone’s conviction was based principally on bite-mark identification. He was exonerated in 2002 after spending 10 years in prison (three of which were spent on death row). In 2004, I participated in a forum on the death penalty with Krone at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania. His case is a tragic example of forensic science run amok. In California, legislation, which took effect in January, makes it easier for a defendant to get a conviction overturned if an expert recants testimony. The law was enacted in response to an expert witness who recanted his bite-mark testimony in a high-profile homicide conviction. Attorneys for 65-year-old William Richards, convicted in 1997 of killing his wife, have always maintained his innocence. At Richards’ trial, expert Norman Sperber testified that only about 2 percent of people would have Richards’ unusual tooth feature. But later, with the help of a clearer photograph of the bite mark, he said Richards’ teeth were not consistent with the mark on his wife’s hand. Sperber, now 86-years-old, recently told The Associated Press that he did not recall the details of Richards’ case, but he had always strived to be objective regardless of whether he was called by the defense or the prosecution. “We’re not trying to convict somebody, we’re trying to get to the truth,” he said. “More and more, experts are reconsidering their opinion not because they have pangs of guilt, but because in fact the science changes,” Laurie Levenson, a criminal law professor at Loyola Law School told The Associated Press. “You want a legal system that recognizes that reality.” Matthew T. Mangino is of counsel with Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly & George. His book “The Executioner’s Toll, 2010” was released by McFarland Publishing. You can reach him at mattmangino.com and follow him on Twitter at @MatthewTMangino. By Matthew T. Mangino More Content Now MailTribune.com By Matthew T. 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