November 4, 2009

Dog Scent Lineups

I can hardly believe this isn't a joke from The Onion, but there are actually people in jail based solely on a dog alerting on their scent among other scents in a lineup. 

The 2004 F.B.I. report warned that dog scent work "should not be used as primary evidence," but only to corroborate other evidence.In several of the cases that were based on Deputy Pikett's dogs, however, the scent lineups appear to have provided the primary evidence, even when contradictory evidence was readily available. Mr. Bickham spent eight months in jail after being identified in a scent lineup by Deputy Pikett's dogs, until another man confessed to the killings.

Many people remain in jail based on such silly evidence -- they should be let out immediately.

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