Bulletin: Kamal Shah: New Jersey: Development: A judge has been assigned all cases involving this state lab technician accused of faking a test. "Shah, who worked at the lab for 10 years, was the primary lab technician in 7,827 drug cases, according to the state Attorney General’s office. He also reviewed nearly 2,600 lab reports prepared by his colleagues. Defense attorneys have argued that Shah’s alleged misconduct casts doubt on all those cases, and have asked courts to revisit the convictions and pending charges against drug defendants."

"The state Supreme Court has assigned a Bergen County Superior Court judge as a special master to handle matters relating to a State Police lab technician who was recently suspended for faking a drug test result. Prosecutors and defense lawyers on Tuesday welcomed the assignment, saying it would help streamline multiple cases and that it underscores the seriousness of the effect of the lab tech’s alleged behavior. Lawyers in Bergen, Passaic and other counties have been filing motions to have charges dismissed or convictions thrown out in cases in which the lab tech, Kamal Shah, conducted the drug tests that led to the criminal conviction of defendants. The April 25 order by the state’s highest court assigns such matters to be heard before Judge Edward Jerejian in Superior Court in Hackensack.........Shah retired from his job in January and lab officials have said he is under a criminal investigation. Shah, who worked as a forensic scientist at the Little Falls lab, was removed from work in December and was later suspended after a colleague observed him “dry-labbing” a drug sample, or writing a test result without actually conducting the test. The state Attorney General’s Office later informed all county prosecutors about Shah’s removal and instructed them to contact all defense attorneys in cases in which Shah’s lab reports were used as evidence. Drug samples seized at crime scenes are submitted to a forensic lab and are tested to make sure that the samples are indeed illegal drugs. Forensic scientists like Shah then prepare lab reports which are later used by prosecutors as evidence against narcotics defendants. A report prepared by a forensic scientist is reviewed and signed off by at least two of his or her colleagues. Shah, who worked at the lab for 10 years, was the primary lab technician in 7,827 drug cases, according to the state Attorney General’s office. He also reviewed nearly 2,600 lab reports prepared by his colleagues. Defense attorneys have argued that Shah’s alleged misconduct casts doubt on all those cases, and have asked courts to revisit the convictions and pending charges against drug defendants."

http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-judge-assigned-all-cases-involving-state-lab-tech-accused-of-faking-a-test-1.1553034