Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko
“In the case of Illinois v. Winfield, attorney Richard Gutierrez of the Cook County, Illinois Public Defender Office asked a Chicago judge to hold a hearing on the scientific validity of forensic firearms analysis. This is the field that claims to be able to match a bullet or shell casing to the gun that fired it. Circuit court judge William Hooks agreed to hold the hearing, and after considering evidence from the state and defense, he issued a landmark opinion in February 2023 which barred prosecutors from putting their analyst on the witness stand. It was the first such ruling on forensic firearms analysis by any criminal court in the country. … there’s just no scientific evidence to support the premise upon which the entire field rests — that every gun leaves unique marks on the bullets and shell casings it fires. It isn’t even clear that this premise could be proven or disproven.” (01/14/25)
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/a-chicago-judge-just-erased-her-predecessors