WASHINGTON -
BREAKING NEWS: "The U.S. Attorney's office has stopped sending new
DNA cases to the district's crime lab after officials say serious
errors were discovered in the analysis of results. Two audits are underway while outside experts re-examine work that's already been done in more than one hundred cases. DNA analysis has become a vital tool in solving all manner of crimes from homicides to rapes to simple gun possession cases. But
last summer, an outside expert working with the U.S. Attorney's office
says he discovered errors in the analysis of DNA recovered in a pair of
home invasions. Analysis, that was conducted at the district's
department of forensic sciences - otherwise known as the crime lab. Additional
outside experts were consulted and by early January the U.S. Attorney's
office started shipping its cases to other labs.........During
questioning Thursday, McDuffie, the chair of the public safety
committee asked director Houck for a deeper assessment of the problem. "You
have characterized it as a matter of science”, said McDuffie, “is it an
issue of internal protocols or policies or is it a quality of staff in
the analysis or both? i think it comes down to individual expertise”,
said Houck, “and assumptions made in the genetic data". But U.S.
Attorney Ron Machen was a bit more critical telling FOX 5 in a
statement: "There have been significant errors in their analysis and we
have got to get this right. We don't want another Donald Gates or Kirk
Odom. We don't want another wrongful conviction". The U.S. Attorney's office points out in one case--involving DNA on the magazine of a gun the crime labs analysis was false. Concluding a person's DNA was on the magazine when it says it was not. In
an interview following the hearing McDuffie said, "I think the public
wants to know when someone is convicted based on analysis performed by
the department of forensic sciences--that it's accurate and it's fair
and it's just and that's ultimately what I want as well"."
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Breaking News: U.S. Attorney acknowledges "significant errors" made at D.C.'s DNA lab - and says "We don't want another Donald Gates or Kirk Odom. We don't want another wrongful conviction." Publisher's note: Due to a 'writing' assignment, I will not be filing fresh posts for several weeks. (With the exception of breaking news;) When I am back in action I will make up for lost time with a vengeance. In the meantime, please keep me up to date with developments and don't hesitate to bring new matters of interest to this Blog to my attention at hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;
