San Francisco Police Department crime lab: SFGATE reports that a crime-lab technician and a supervisor implicated in alleged misconduct that could jeopardize hundreds of criminal cases failed a DNA proficiency exam last year and were barred from processing evidence.

STORY:  "Technician, boss in SFPD  (San Francisco Police Department) lab scandal flunked DNA skills exam," by reporter Jaxon Van Derbeken, published by SFGATE on March 30, 2015.

GIST: "The San Francisco police crime-lab technician and a supervisor implicated in alleged misconduct that could jeopardize hundreds of criminal cases failed a DNA proficiency exam last year and were barred from processing evidence, documents show. Police Chief Greg Suhr said Monday that authorities were looking at 1,400 criminal cases that were prosecuted in part based on DNA work done by the technician — identified in court records as Mignon Dunbar — and her supervisor, Cherisse Boland. Both are civilian police employees. It’s the latest embarrassment for the crime lab, where the 2010 theft of cocaine evidence by a drug-tester ultimately led to the dismissal of 1,700 criminal cases on which she had worked.“ We’re going to do a complete audit of any work these criminalists touched,” Suhr said of the DNA tests. “If we do discover there’s any problem, all those cases will be reworked until they’re to the appropriate standard.” Suhr said the probe will last about six weeks. In addition, District Attorney George Gascón said he has formed a task force that will look into several recent problems in the police and sheriff’s departments, including the DNA lab issues.........The DNA investigation comes as a national crime-lab accrediting agency is conducting its regular five-year audit of the San Francisco lab. Without accreditation, any DNA findings the lab made in murder, sexual assaults and other criminal cases would be all but useless to prosecutors in court."

http://m.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Technician-boss-in-S-F-police-lab-scandal-6169230.php

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;