America’s Finest Journalist
By Thoreau
Radley Balko is without a doubt one of America’s finest journalists. He’s spent the past few years working on exposing the deep, deep flaws and gross injustices of Mississippi’s legal system. He’s been especially ardent in investigating the state’s former medical examiner, Dr. Steven Hayne, who will say whatever a prosecutor wants him to say. Now Radley has obtained disturbing evidence that Hayne one of Hayne’s colleagues (Michael West) doesn’t merely “interpret” the results of sloppy autopsies, he actually manufactures results. The line is a fine one in practice, of course, because a sufficiently careless interpretation of a sufficiently sloppy autopsy can lead to whatever conclusion you want. Still, fabrication is one of those lines that, when crossed, takes us to a whole new place. I don’t know what will come of this, but I hope that it results in West receiving a trial with evidentiary standards that far exceed anything Hayne ever did in his practice.
We need more journalists like Radley. My hat is off to him.
Comment by Radley Balko —
February 19, 2009 @ 3:34 pm
Thanks, Thoreau.
One clarification. Michael West is the one seen in the video.
Hayne’s probably guilty of perjury, because he testified at Duncan’s trial to finding bite marks on Haley Oliveaux’s cheek that clearly weren’t there later, when the video opens. And Hayne and West made a pattern of this bite mark routine, including in the Kennedy Brewer and Levon Brooks cases, both convicted based on Hayne and West testimony, then later exonerated by DNA testing.
But just to be clear, it is West, not Hayne, who is using the dental mold on Oliveaux in the video.
Comment by Thoreau —
February 19, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
Thanks for the clarification. And good work!
Comment by joe from Lowell —
February 19, 2009 @ 4:41 pm
It must be terribly uncomfortable for Radley, lugging those enormous brass balls around wherever he goes. Tough on the back, I’d imagine.
His tailoring bill must be astronomical.
Comment by Dave W. —
February 19, 2009 @ 9:06 pm
One time I tried him to publish a photo of an injured Iraqi civilian just after he published a bunch of photos of a wounded American soldier. He wouldn’t do it.
Another time he deleted all my old posts at the HitNRun. He is one of the best, but even he has his shortcummings.
Comment by Joshua Holmes —
February 19, 2009 @ 9:32 pm
It must be terribly uncomfortable for Radley, lugging those enormous brass balls around wherever he goes. Tough on the back, I’d imagine.
That’s what his civil libertarian groupies are for. On one either side, cupping the grapefruits. Estimated weight: 5 stone, 9 pounds. Apiece.
Oh, and I can’t be the only one who whistles “Who Are You” when reading Balko’s Misterslippi expozays.
Comment by Mona —
February 20, 2009 @ 1:29 am
I’ve been on a blogging sabbatical that will continue for another 6-8weeks, save for the very occasional post. But I almost did up this Balko article. Thanks to Dr. T. for doing it — important stuff there, Balko.
Comment by BArry —
February 20, 2009 @ 7:25 am
Balko, huzzah’s to you. You could walk amongst the assembled reporters of any MSM newspaper (or TV station, or magazine), and the best of them are at best your peer.
Comment by Minion of URKOBOLD —
February 20, 2009 @ 8:04 am
hay Korn Syrup Glock Boi:
hell – everybody wants to delete your postings, there, gai…
Radley:
thank you for your work and your efforts. THANK YOU!!!
Comment by dhex —
February 20, 2009 @ 12:15 pm
big ups to mr. balko. i hope he gets a book deal for a pop-slanted work on the raids. possible titles include “we’re totally fucked” and “…and their little dog, too”
actually that second one is kinda wicked.