The Lorinda Swain case is of a child making unfounded accusations toward his mother of sexual abuse, only later to recant that testimony as totally fabricated. Lorinda server 8 years in prison and has been out on tether bond for the last three during an appeal process having to do with a retrial based on the prosecution not having turned over to the defense evidence of her innocence. For a fuller explanation, see the Lorinda Swain Case.

The thrust of the Michigan Innocence Clinic's case for a retrial was that, according to Dennis Book, Lorinda's then live-in boyfriend, Det. Pickett called him on the phone and Book vehemently asserted that there was no possible way that Lorinda could have been guilty of such a crime without him knowing it, and had he known it, he would have turned her in himself. This would be sufficient grounds to have a retrial for not turning over exculpatory evidence to the defense, what is referred to as a Bradey violation.

The prosecutor's office countered by producing two witnesses, the original trial prosecutor and the detective partner whom Pickett had mentored, who both said under oath that Det. Pickett never made phone interviews, expcept for people out of the area, and always wrote up reports on any interviews he conducted. Basically, their counter-argument was that Book is making this up in an effort to protect Lorinda.

A few days after the closing of oral arguments, the Michigan Innocence Clinic found out that in another case Pickett had admitted under oath that there were times that he conducted interviews over the phone and that he did not write up reports on every interview conducted. This statement by Pickett of his actual behavior is sure to carry more weight than the prosecution's testimony of what Pickett's normal behavior was. We are all very hopeful for a positive outcome in this case.