There is a decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that captures the often impossible burden placed on convicted felons in seeking new trials after errors or unfair rulings. Tavares Flaggs is a Mississippi man serving a life sentence for murder. His trial featured the discredited medical examiner, Steven Hayne (left) who has been shown to have given flawed or false testimony, including testimony in death penalty cases. Hayne sought a new trial in a post-conviction 28 U.S.C. § 2254 application. The Fifth Circuit denied the motion in three paragraphs that is as short as it is dismissive in considering the underlying issues. The government effectively argued that its witness was so notorious that the defense should have raised his incompetency at trial. It succeeded. The entire decision is below.
Flaggs (right) was convicted of the murder in April 2005 of Derrick Wright. Wright was found dead in his apartment covered in blood with cut marks all over him and his hands up. Police followed blood marked and footmarks into the hallway. They found a a bloodstained towel in the garbage can and bloody knives. One of those knives had a fingerprint determined to belong to Flaggs. The key witness was Hayne who testified that the wounds on Wright’s body were defensive wounds and that this was a homicide. He specifically testified on the importance of the blood splatters to support this view. This testimony was the critical contradiction to the defense of self defense.
The problem is that Hayne is now viewed as entirely lacking credibility as a forensic witness. His alleged negligence were detailed in cases involving Cory Maye, Jimmie Duncan, and Tyler Edmonds. These cases raised concerns over thousands of cases since he performed about 80 to 90 percent of criminal autopsies in Mississippi — a reflection of a high-traffic office that itself was viewed as unacceptable and unprofessional. In the Maye case, experts rejected his testimony of a bullet trajectory as without basis. Notably, in the case of Edmonds, after a retrial without Hayne as a witness, he was acquitted.
In Flaggs’ case, a state appeal was based on Hayne’s lack of expertise on blood splatters. However, Court of Appeals of Mississippi noted that “[w]hile the State cites no authority supporting this proposition, we note that Dr. Hayne has been accepted in other cases as an expert in the analysis of blood spatter….Moreover, our supreme court has indicated that forensic pathologists are qualified to give opinions regarding blood spatter….Therefore, while there was no mention of blood spatter analysis during Dr. Hayne’s expert qualification, we cannot say under the circumstances of this case that the trial court erred in allowing Dr. Hayne to testify regarding blood spatter.”
The post-trial motion was based on the current controversies surrounding Flaggs in various cases. It was an important case because this is the first major federal appeal based on Hayne’s record. Prosecutors continued to use Hayne despite complaints from various defense lawyers that Hayne was valued solely because he blindly supported prosecutorial claims. When you consider the fact that he was performing between 1,200 and 1,800 autopsies per year, there was considerable doubt over any expert testimony derived from such a factory operation. He was denounced as unprofessional and sloppy. This included one case discussing the condition of a corpse’s spleen when the individual had previously had his spleen removed. There were serious questions over his licensing claims and the truth of prior testimony on his background.
Despite this horrific record and the importance of Hayne to the conviction, the Congress and courts have established a standard for post-trial motions that is exceptionally hard to satisfy. The defendant must show that the evidence is new and could not have been discovered at the time of his trial. Even if you can show that, you then have to show that, if that evidence was known to the jury, it would have been unlikely to convict. The Fifth Circuit, below, simply dismisses the claim and ignores the comprehensive denial of due process presented by such a flawed expert and testimony. Indeed, while presented with a detailed appeal, the Court mentions virtually nothing of the record. It simply says that the problems were discoverable: “Hayne had been widely and publicly criticized for several years before the 2012 deposition and certainly before the filing of Flaggs’s first § 2254 application in 2011.”
The dismissive ruling captures the problem with the current standard. No one reading this record could come away with anything but disgust for the handling of the prosecution. Flaggs may indeed be guilty but he is entitled to a fair trial without such a dubious and unreliable chief witness. It is predictable that there is no sympathy for defendants in such cases, but there should be concern for our system as a whole. This individual will serve a life sentence after the government presented a witness who was not only unqualified to give his testimony on blood splatters but lacking credibility. His being called was the responsibility of the government not the defendant. The government was then able to say that the unreliability of its own witness was so well known that it should have been raised.
Here is the decision:
No. 13-60896
In re: TAVARES ANTOINE FLAGGS,
Movant.
Motion for an Order Authorizing
the United States District Court
for the Southern District of Mississippi
To Consider a Successive 28 U.S.C. § 2254 Application
Before JOLLY, SMITH, and CLEMENT, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Tavares Flaggs, Mississippi prisoner # M1616, is serving a life sentence for murder. He moves this court for authorization to file a second or successive 28 U.S.C. § 2254 application.For authorization, Flaggs must show (1) that his proposed claims rely on a new rule of constitutional law that was previously unavailable and that was made retroactive to cases on collateral review by the Supreme Court, § 244(b)(2)(A); or (2) that the “factual predicate” of his proposed claims could not have been discovered previously through the exercise of due diligence and that those facts would establish by clear and convincing evidence that, but for constitutional error, no reasonable trier of fact would have convicted him of the offense. § 2244(b)(2)(B).
Flaggs does not rely on a new rule of law. Rather, he contends that the factual predicate for his claims about the unreliability of pathologist Steven Hayne could not have been discovered before Hayne’s deposition in a defamation suit Hayne filed against the Mississippi Innocence Project in response to the Innocence Project’s 2008 letter to the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure cataloguing evidence of Hayne’s malfeasance over the previous years. The evidence providing the factual predicate is not new. Hayne had been widely and publicly criticized for several years before the 2012 deposition and certainly before the filing of Flaggs’s first § 2254 application in 2011. Indeed, the deposition merely revisits the facts compiled in the Innocence Project’s letter.
Moreover, Flaggs does not show that Hayne’s testimony at trial was false or unreliable. Nor does he show by clear and convincing evidence that no jury would have convicted him but for the allegedly unconstitutional admission of Hayne’s opinion testimony. See § 2254(b)(2)(B)(ii). Flaggs does not satisfy the requirements of § 2244(b)(2)(B) under which we may authorize the filing of a successive § 2254 application.
The motion is DENIED.
I don’t understand why these cases are not automatically reviewed after a particular central piece of expert testimony or method is discredited.
There were a couple of DUI issues that come to mind for me here in WA. One was it came out that a lab worker with the state crime lab falsely swore certain lab results were obtained and another where the External Standards of breathalyzers were not properly certified. It caused great numbers of DUI cases to be reversed or retried. The state toxicologist later resigned.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/State-crime-lab-chief-resigns-after-problems-1264475.php
Mississippi certainly has some “enemies” of justice in the LEO, legal and judicial professions (sic) . Personal knowledge of at least one in each category – including the notorious “Seabass” who works for defendants AND the other side.
Charlton,
I never typed that Forensic pathology is junk science.
I typed:
…. Steven Hayne and his “science” a complete charade?
The key words being in the excerpted sentence being his “science” a complete charade not Forensic pathology is junk science.
Big difference.
What is the meaning of the words below?
“I, XXX XXX, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as XXX under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God.”
Their Oath is as moot as the Constitution.
Personanongrata,
Forensic pathology itself is certainly not “junk science.” However, Hayne was allegedly doing 1,700 autopsies a year. Do the math. Not physically possible to do that many competent autopsies. Of course, if all one does is weigh the body, open it up with the usual “Y” incision and take a quick look at the chitlins, then yeah, maybe so, that would be “junk.”
How many innocent human-beings are rotting in a cage because of the fraudulent testimony of Steven Hayne and the courts refusal to remedy the tremendous harm caused even in the face of incontrovertible evidence proving Steven Hayne and his “science” a complete charade?
And justice for some.
Proving a negative is the most difficult of evidentiary burdens. And it certainly did not help Mr. Flaggs’ appeal that it had to be brought in the Fifth Circuit.
You cannot prove something doesn’t exist, never happened nor that a law has never been passed. The income tax comes to mine.
I have never heard of a state legislature passing such a law, but in 2008, the Mississippi legislature passed a bill meant to keep Hayne from ever being used by prosecutors in the state again.
Why doesn’t this guy just cut to the chase and say in court….
“X hired me for $10k, therefore Y is guilty.
I know Steve Hayne and have worked on several cases where he screwed up. He is not one of my favorite people.
His carelessness was evident in one case I recall where the murdered woman was pregnant and Hayne completely missed the fact there was a fetus in her uterus.
There was the time where he concluded a driver committed suicide because he claimed to have found the imprint of the accelerator’s design pressed into the driver’s right shoe sole. A pattern that no one else could see, either with the naked eye or under magnification. In that case he was hired by……wait for it…..the life insurance company. A company that had a suicide exclusion in the life insurance policy. I was able to prove that the guy went to sleep at the wheel. It was a case reminiscent of one I wrote about here.
Charlton, why is he one of your favorite people now?
If the doctor was so notoriously incompetent, corrupt or whatever, should–or shouldn’t, could or couldn’t–the judge have known to bar his testimony? The court itself has no responsibility?
They only like to bar the testimony for the defendants that need the testimony as evidence to show they’re not guilty. Rule 1 – The state is always right. Rule 2. When the State is wrong, see Rule 1.
Unfortunately, this is generally the modus operandi in federal appeals and habeas petitions. It takes a miracle from heaven to get a decision that goes beyond mere expedience.
There is a saying in the legal community: “everyone in jail says they are innocent.” Well, it turns out that DNA has proved that there are innocent persons serving life sentences and some innocent persons have even been executed, just check out the Innocents Project. Texas is the execution capital of the world. Our judicial system is far from perfect, still the United States is the only country in the industrialized world that still uses execution. Americans love their pound of flesh.
“Moreover, Flaggs does not show that Hayne’s testimony at trial was false or unreliable. Nor does he show by clear and convincing evidence that no jury would have convicted him but for the allegedly unconstitutional admission of Hayne’s opinion testimony.”
Isn’t it really the case that the court is saying that it isn’t enough to say that Hayne is unreliable? Aren’t they saying that you would also have to show that he made specific errors in this case or that the jury would not have convicted but for Hayne?
That seems like a reasonable standard. For an appeal you need to be _specific_ as to what the problem was. Isn’t that right?
Justice should not be about efficiency…. it should be about not punishing the innocent.
Our Judiciary has long been the executioner of the Citizens, for the ruling oligarchs and the nation state they control. They have always used fear and injustice as a weapon to remain in power.
Jefferson was opposed to the Constitution because it did not provide the Citizens a method of Judicial remedy. He had many insights, but surely that is his most pragmatic and important. Who’d a thunk that Judges would have become a rubber stamp for the ruling class.
Never trust a Brit who has his hair parted down the middle because the itShay can flow either way. Same with a guy from Mississippi. I cant even spull Mississippi so I don’t get on the river or fly over the state. I hope there is room for the convicted guy to plead incompetent counsel for failure to object to incompetent dumb doctor. No need to say that The South Will Rise Again! because it already has.
“Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reblogged this on The Grey Enigma.
The law is limited. Never worship it as we should never worship any person. Bad people in places of trust do bad things, and sometimes the law is powerless. That’s why we need good people in places of trust.