More cases are up for review after a decade’s worth of DWI cases could be compromised by false testimony from an expert witness. Dr. Fessessework Guale is a Harris County Institute of Forensic Science who focuses on how alcohol affects the human body. While she states she received a Master’s of Toxicology in court, the District Attorney’s Office revealed the analyst actually had a degree in Masters in the Physiological Science of animals. Dr. Guale's supervisors stand by her, but her resume reveals she had no experience with alcohol-related science until she worked at the Institute of Forensic Science. Now, the District Attorney’s Office is asking defense lawyers to check if Dr. Guale testified for any of their cases, especially DWI. The event may lead to overturned convictions and future dismissals. Tyler Flood illustrates the frustration of the local defense community saying “When you’re asking people like this to come to court and testify and they’re giving you their resume and CV you tend to believe what’s on there. And you don’t ask to bring your diplomas to court, even though it seems like we should be.”
