More witchhunt news from Florence

Prosecutor Crini got more aggressive today, telling more lies and attacking independent and defense experts with particular odium. He basically suggested that professor Vecchiotti of La Sapient University should not have meddled into the dirty dealings of the country’s central police laboratory – which she did by exposing 54 errors in the work of one of its technicians, Patrizia Stefanoni.

Crini also played the scientist in the courtroom. He said he was familiar with DNA from “cold cases” whatever that means. He then proceeded to criticize Vecchiotti’s report as if he were qualified to do so, even citing scientific articles!

This is of course ridiculous. Italian courts and lawyers believe they can pass judgment on scientific matters. Must be an aftertaste from the Galileo trial. Italy’s supreme court questioned Vecchiotti’s findings in the same ruling where it opined that heroin does not impact memory. Now it’s Crini playing the know-it-all.

In a US courtroom, it would be like this: here’s Ms. Stefanoni for the prosecution, BSc from a 60+-ranked Italian university; a string of temporary jobs with various hospitals, now a technical functionary with the police lab. Here’s Prof. Novelli for the same, an accomplished geneticist with zero forensic experience. And here’s Prof. Vecchiotti for the defense, 30 years in forensic biology, lab director at a top three school, relevant publications and all. And here’s Prof. Tagliabracci for the defense, author of a textbook on forensic genetics. And here’s Prof. Torre for the defense, one of Italy’s most respected independent forensic experts… And so on. There would be no argument over credibility as the defense team would simply overwhelm with their qualifications. There was not one independent forensic professional on the prosecution’s witness list.

Plus, there are those Daubert and Frye hearings in the US to determine what expert evidence gets admitted and what does not. Italy’s standards of evidence at non-existent in comparison.

Crini told a couple of straight-laced lies towards the end of his (essentially boring) shtick, saying the imprint on the bedsheet is “compatible” with the large kitchen knife. No it’s not unless you put on distorting spectacles.