Bullet lead analysis exposed as unscientific.

• Author: Zemlicka, Jack

Byline: Jack Zemlicka

A forensic tool employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in approximately 2,500 criminal cases was recently discontinued because of the revelation that the analysis was invalid.

While an FBI release noted that in less than 20 percent of the cases where bullet lead examinations were conducted, results were introduced into evidence at trial, the agency conceded that thousands of convictions may have relied on the flawed analysis.

On Nov. 19, the Innocence Network and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers announced that they will form the Joint Comparative Bullet Lead Analysis Task Force.

According to Keith A. Findley, a member of the task force and co-founder of the Wisconsin Innocence Project, the objective will be to collect cases where bullet lead analysis was done by the FBI and try and find instances where testimony or evidence led to convictions.

The FBI has agreed to work cooperatively with the task force and provide us with information on all the cases, said Findley, who noted that specifics of the task force are still being addressed.

Any connection to cases in Wisconsin is unknown at this point, according to Findley, but certainly a possibility.

Right now the task force is still being set up and there is the potential that there could be a Wisconsin connection, but right know we don't know for sure what...