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'Scent lineups stink to critics'

The title of this post is the headline over a USA Today article published today voicing criticisms of Fort Bend County Sheriff's Deputy Keith Pikett's use of bloodhounds to conduct "scent lineups," which have led to false accusations in two recent cases including one that resulted in a DNA exoneration. According to USA Today:Two federal lawsuits are casting a harsh spotlight on an investigative tool long beloved by American law enforcement: a bloodhound's nose. Lawsuits filed in Victoria, Texas, allege that Fort Bend County Sheriff's Deputy Keith Pikett and his team of hounds ? James Bond, Quincy and Clue ? failed controversial sniff tests known as "scent lineups." Much like in traditional lineups, the dogs link human scents left at crime scenes to samples from suspects...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on June 30, 2009 (boomark / email).