Judge overturns conviction for man accused of killing baby

[Guest guest]

We apologize for the lack of email, but we had to help this innocent man get out

of prison and attended his hearing in Orlando. We are in the process of making

improved changes to our organization and will keep everyone updated. Thank you

so much for your support and God bless always, April

http://cbs4.com/floridanews/FL--ShakenBaby-dn/resources_news_html

Friday August 27, 2004

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) A judge ordered a new trial Friday for a father convicted

five years ago of shaking his 10-week-old son to death, citing problems with the

autopsy.

Minutes after the judge ordered the new trial, Alan Yurko pleaded no contest to

manslaughter. Circuit Judge Alan Lawson sentenced him to time served, allowing

Yurko to be released from prison where he had been serving a life sentence in

the death of his son, Alan Ream-Yurko.

Lawson criticized the autopsy conducted by Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner Dr.

Shashi Gore, who ruled the child was shaken to death. He also said the fact that

the autopsy had many problems was newly-discovered evidence.

In February, the state Medical Examiner's Commission barred Gore from performing

autopsies after it ruled he had committed at least eight mistakes in Alan

Ream-Yurko's autopsy. It was the harshest discipline ever in Florida against a

chief medical examiner. The commission did not address Gore's finding that the

infant had been shaken to death, which contributed to Yurko being sentenced to

life in prison.

During a weeklong hearing, Yurko's defense team argued that Alan Ream-Yurko

might have died in 1997 as a result of poor health, adverse reactions to

vaccines and medical-treatment mistakes.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. .)