George Castelle is the Chief Public Defender in Charleston, West Virginia. He represented the interests of all West Virginia prisoners in the 1993 investigation into fraud committed by forensic scientist, Fred Zain in the West Virginia State Police Crime Lab, and is currently representing the interests of all West Virginia prisoners in a renewed investigation of the lab. His work in the 1993 Investigation resulted in the exposure of the fraud committed by Fred Zain, and the discrediting of Zain's entire career in West Virginia, in the Bexar County Crime Lab in San Antonio, Texas and in cases in 10 other states across the country. In 1997 he received the National Legal Aid and Defender Association's Reginald Heber Smith Award for exposing crime lab fraud and freeing innocent prisoners wrongfully convicted by false scientific data. His work has been featured on 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, Dateline, and Court TV.

Last updated April 16, 2002