Not long ago we talked about another case of misleading police scent dogs in Texas (see the articles here and here). Now, Time Magazine has posted an article on their website about the issue. Take a look at the article, and this excerpt on the Innocence Project of Texas’ work with the cases:

Jeff Blackburn, head of the Innocence Project of Texas, has labeled the dog-scent evidence as “junk, not even junk science.” He adds, “We are working on a very intense, independent investigation of Pikett’s activities.” Pikett, who through his lawyer has declined public comment, is being sued for civil-rights violations in federal court by [Calvin Lee] Miller and [former Victoria County Sheriff's Department Captain Michael] Buchanek. Blackburn says the innocence team is combing Texas public records to assess Pikett’s impact on other cases. In the meantime, the Innocence Project of Texas study is being supported by canine-law-enforcement experts who, while not going so far as to call dog-scent evidence junk, fear that misapplication of the undisputed canine talent for recognizing smells will discredit good cases along with the bad.

Related posts:

1. More police dogs fail “scent lineup” test Two lawsuits have been filed against a police team of dogs who are accused of failing scent tests and rigging...
2. The FBI’s new scent technology According to an Indianapolis news station, the FBI has developed a new scent preservation technology that can “literally bottle up...
3. NY Times Article on Dog-scent Lineups Yesterday the New York Times ran a good article on dog-scent lineups looking particularly at cases in Texas involving that...
4. More on Texas police dogs A couple of weeks ago we shared the story of Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Deputy Keith Pikett and his bloodhounds...
5. Gary Bennett article in Florida Today Last week I posted a blog about Gary Bennett, who has spent 25 years in jail due in part to...
6. Another Man Convicted by Preston’s Dogs Gary Bennett, who has spent 25 years in prison, may be the fourth person exonerated in Brevard County based on...