Bulletin: Crime lab delays: Austin American-Statesman reports that "Long crime lab delays have forced at least 21 people across Texas to serve time on drug possession charges when the substance they had wasn’t illegal." (A defence lawyer asks what else is new in Texas! HL)

 

STORY: "Report: Crime lab delays  lead to false drug convictions," published by The Austin American-Statesman on April 20, 2014.

GIST: "Long crime lab delays have forced at least 21 people across Texas to serve time on drug possession charges when the substance they had wasn’t illegal, according to a published report Sunday. The Austin American-Statesman found through interviews and by scrutinizing court records that 14 men and seven women pleaded guilty and began serving time before public lab results on the samples came back. Because of lab backups or delays, the test results didn’t arrive until months or sometimes years later. And prosecutors say there are almost certainly more of these cases, but no one is keeping close count.........We all — prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, defendants — depend on rapid, competent forensic labs. But we have not had those in Texas for more than three decades,” said Patrick McCann, a Harris County public defender who represented Mario Martin in May 2008."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/04/20/5751844/report-lab-delays-lead-to-false.html?rh=1

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: 

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
 
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
 
http://smithforensic.blogspot.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
 
I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com.

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;