Steven Hayne in the News

Radley Balko | August 21, 2009

Fallen Mississippi medical examiner Steven Hayne is back in the news, though if you read Reason, you'll already be familiar with the particulars.

First, Jackson TV station WLBT picks up the story, first reported here a few weeks ago, about several Mississippi coroners' remarkable plan to have Hayne resume doing autopsies in the state.

Second, CNN brought some welcome national exposure to the story yesterday, with a report posted to the website for Anderson Cooper's show. I've heard mixed reports on whether the story will make it on to Cooper's actual show. Would be great if it did.

Welcome to the party, gang!

Archive of Reason reporting on Hayne and disgraced bite mark specialist Michael West here .

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|8.21.09 @ 3:06PM|#

It's been said before, but you're doing a man's job, Mr. Balko.

Edmonds, then only 14, was accused of murdering his brother-in-law, Joey Fulgham, who had been shot in the head with a single bullet.

Dr. Hayne performed the autopsy on Fulgham and concluded that "within reasonable medical certainty," two people had likely fired the murder weapon. Dr. Hayne based his findings on his examination of the gunshot wound.

"Since it would be past the center line of the decedent's head when fired, 20 degrees past the center line of the head, so therefore, it would be consistent with two people involved," Dr. Hayne said on the witness stand.

Wizzle wuzzle?

Do you have any idea as to the likelihood of Hayne's return?

|8.21.09 @ 3:17PM|#

Ya'll will concur I am sure. I am a great big ole gullible moran most of the time. But this 2 people shootin thing? It may well be the biggest buncha horseshit I ever heard.

|8.21.09 @ 3:29PM|#

Get a brain, brotherben!

(should I post the picture in honor of joe, ya morans?)

|8.21.09 @ 3:33PM|#

Haynes's lawyer sums it up right here.

"If there was a mistake made in Edmonds' first trial, according to Danks, it was made by the trial judge, who should not have allowed Dr. Hayne to testify about the two-shooter theory."

The overall problem isn't with Haynes, it's with the judical system in MS.

|8.21.09 @ 3:51PM|#

The overall problem isn't with Haynes, it's with the judical system in MS.

It doesn't have to be either or.

Just because the judicial system is fucked up doesn't justify unethical and dishonest behavior on the part of Hayne.

Michael Ejercito|8.21.09 @ 4:15PM|#

Imagine people like Hayne in charge of health care.

Paul|8.22.09 @ 4:37AM|#

Imagine people like Hayne in charge of health care.

No problem, I have it on good authority that there will be accountability through the political process to deal with people like Hayne in a public system, as opposed to the zero accountability there is in a private system.

For instance, every four years we'll get to elect a president. At that time, that president will appoint a "Health Czar", then congress and the senate will debate the merits of...

Ahh, the long winter evenings will fly by.

Paul|8.22.09 @ 4:37AM|#

Oh wait, Hayne is in a public system... so the system is working. Nothing to see here, move along.

|8.24.09 @ 1:54PM|#

"""Just because the judicial system is fucked up doesn't justify unethical and dishonest behavior on the part of Hayne.""

If the system didn't hire him, he wouldn't be a problem. Or, he would be a problem somewhere else. As in most jobs, the employer is responsible for who they hire. Sure Haynes would be just a big of a hack, unemployed or not, but an unemployed Haynes can't put people in jail.