My old pal Nate Blakeslee from Texas Monthly provides the answer to the question in the title in this new article. Page two of the story's web version has an excellent discussion of how and why false confessions occur.
See related Grits posts and this item for links to past Grits coverage of topics related to false confessions.
The El Paso Medical Examiner, Juan Contin who testified at Daniel's trial admitted to insurance fraud in 1991. This admission was to the TX Medical Board and Contin signed their Finding of Facts and was cited by the Board.
ReplyDeleteInsurance Fraud is a crime of Moral Turpitude and under TX law forbids anyone who has plead or found guilty of this crime from holding an elected or appointed position.
Contin's autopsy report and testimony given in Daniel's 1993 trial was illegal both under the TX and U.S. Constitutions, but since the TX Medical Board didn't tell anyone, the defense didn't challenge Contin.
Hopefully in the retrial the current attorney's won't make that same mistake, since Juan Contin is back claiming the position as the El Paso CO Chief Medical Examiner.