New Jersey Supreme Court Rejects ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’

The first ruling of its kind in the country could give people convicted based on SBS testimony a new shot at freedom.

Last month, in a 6 to 1 decision, New Jersey’s highest court banned testimony on Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) from the state’s courtrooms, the first decision of its kind in the United States, ruling that SBS was not “generally accepted” by experts.

The decision in State v. Nieves could help unravel wrongful convictions in New Jersey and throughout the country.

“By upholding the exclusion of this testimony, the Court reinforces a core principle of our justice system: criminal convictions must rest on reliable, well-supported scientific evidence,” the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, which represented Darryl Nieves, said in a statement. “The Constitution demands more than speculation dressed in scientific language.”

Read the full story at The Appeal.