I work with some pretty creative defense attorneys, but I don't think any of them would have come up with this (via Dispatches from the Culture Wars):
The judge in the Glenn Howard Griffin murder trial has blocked a defense tactic that attempted to undermine DNA testing by claiming it contradicts scripture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Imagine the possibilities had that ploy worked - any bit of inculpatory evidence could be excluded if you could conjure up some religious belief that it contradicted!
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Defense attorneys had hoped to claim some DNA testing has established that American Indians descend from Asian or Sibe- rian ancestry.
The LDS Book of Mormon teaches early Americans’ ancestors are ancient tribes of Israel.
'Because orthodox members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claim to have a spiritual witness, or revelation, concerning the truthfulness and historicity of the Book of Mormon, (defendant) will argue, expressly or implied, that it is … DNA that must be wrong and, therefore, rejected,' prosecutors claimed in a motion to ban the tactic.
In his order issued Wednesday, 1st District Judge Ben Hadfield granted the prosecution motion . . ..
1 comment:
Are you suggesting that someone would misuse religion in that way? I'm shocked ... shocked I tell you. ;-)
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