From the WashingtonPost.com:
Federal prosecutors finally have confirmed that Mr. Odom was wrongfully convicted of a 1981 D.C. rape, for which he served 20 years in prison. Mr. Odom was sentenced at age 18; this nightmare has consumed more than half his life, and all because of errors in forensic techniques.
These three cases should serve as a call to explore forensic errors that could have put more innocent men behind bars — or could do so in the future. In the wake of The Post’s reports, the Justice Department and the FBI announced last Tuesday the largest-ever post-conviction review, which will examine all cases after 1985 that relied on hair and fiber examinations. This is necessary and long overdue.
However, while the review’s results almost surely will uncover deficiencies in previous uses of forensic evidence, many flawed practices — including hair-sample analysis — are no longer in standard usage. Beyond finding and acknowledging errors of the past, a focus should be on taking every conceivable step to eliminate future wrongful convictions.
In terms of forensics, there’s still considerable work to do. As the National Academy of Sciences recommended in a 2009 report to Congress: “Research is needed to address issues of accuracy, reliability, and validity in the forensic science disciplines.” Although hair-sample analysis may be obsolete, uncertainty attaches to other techniques still in common use, such as firearm examination and fingerprint analysis. To that end, Sens. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) each have proposed bills that would, among other things, promote more scientific research and develop uniform forensic standards. These reforms are critical steps that should have been enacted long ago, and they should be enacted without further delay.
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. expressed his office’s sympathy with Mr. Odom: “Though we can never give him back the years that he lost,” he wrote, “we can give Mr. Odom back his unfairly tarnished reputation.” He’s right: No amount of recompense — financial or otherwise — could right the wrongs done to Mr. Odom, Mr. Tribble, Mr. Gates and however many others have been wrongfully convicted.
All the more reason to take every possible step to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
Wrongful Convictions Blog 
Personally, I refuse to call them forensic “sciences”. There is precious little about them that is actually scientific. It’s largely flawed inductive reasoning, with much of it based upon the subjective opinions of individual examiners.
The case against my husband, Simon Hall, here in the UK, was a malicious prosecution; a total farce…
It is believed Simon was the first man in the UK to have been convicted on contaminated, circumstantial fibre evidence alone.
Blood, hair, fingerprints, footprints and other trace evidence did not belong to Simon.
Next week, marks Simon’s 11th year of incarceration.
The real killers of Mrs Albert remain AT LARGE!
An INNOCENT man remains in prison and the authorities here in the UK are doing nothing!
Dear Sirs,
I am sending you a further email in support of the recent announcement by the FBI in the United States where they have stated that fibre evidence in unreliable: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ginny-sloan/justice-department-should_b_1527396.html
Please find a further link for your reference and consideration – may I also point you in particluar; to the areas highlighted:
http://wm3org.typepad.com/blog/2008/04/jason-baldwin-fiberhair-release-2.html#tp
Scotland Yard’s Ken Wiggins (whose work is relied upon by the Fiber Subgroup, described above, in the United States) was the Chairman of the European Fibres Group for several years. Wiggins has written a number of influential publications including Forensic Textile Fiber Examination Across the USA and Europe, 46 Journal of Forensic Sciences 1303 (November, 2001). The just described article was described by another expert as follows:
…. the outcome of a comparative survey relating to textile fibre examination and analysis in North America and across Europe. The paper gave an insight into the experience of fibre examiners, equipment availability and usage and the range of analysis carried out in over 130 laboratories. It has helped to educate the smaller laboratories about these and many other aspects of fibres work. Finally, it will enable managers to judge whether their particular laboratory is performing adequately in the field of textile fibre examination or could be improved. This project was jointly organized by Terri Santamaria of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia, USA, and Ken Wiggins of the FSS, Metropolitan Laboratory, London, UK, on behalf of SWGMAT, and the EFG respectively. This information could not have been obtained without the co-operation of many American and European laboratories.
Since many areas of the forensic sciences in the United States measure their standards either against, or in cooperation with, the Forensic Science Services of the Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom, Wiggins’ work has been deemed authoritative in the United States. It is referenced repeatedly in materials published by the U.S. Department of Justice. Wiggins has made the point that prior to 2001, forensic laboratory practices in fiber analysis were highly variable.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Hall
For and on behalf of the appellant – Simon John Hall & Justice4SimonHall
There needs to be oversight and some basic standards of practice and licensing for toxicologists. The former Chief Toxicologist for Franklin County, James Lonel Ferguson, could not pass chemistry at Ohio State but still held the job for 27 years.