A decade’s worth of DWI cases are under review after testimony from an expert witness who may have lied about her credentials. The expert is Dr. Fessessework Guale, a toxicology analyst working for the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Local defense attorneys are now concerned about the validity of Dr. Fessessework’s educational background.
Court testimony from several DWI cases have shown Dr. Fessessework saying she has a Master’s of Toxicology. However, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office stated she had received a Master’s in Physiological Sciences. What’s even more concerning is another attorney cross-examined Dr. Fessessework and obtained her resume which stated she had a Master’s in Physiological Sciences for animals with a vet degree from Ethiopia.
The new information has caused the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to reexamine nearly ten years of DWI cases. It’s also caused defense attorneys to be concerned for their upcoming cases. Tyler Flood, a partner at [firm] and president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association stated that “All of her education has been toward animals, not the human body. This is very disturbing.”
The Institute of Forensic Sciences has released a statement addressing Dr. Fessessework credentials, but the legal community is still up in arms. The false testimony provided by Dr. Fessessework could lead to cases being overturned or aggravated perjury charges for lying in court.
