Crime lab series: (Part 1): From our 'Here we go again?' department... North Carolina State Crime Lab scientist Susan Alderman; State alleges she cheated on a certification exam, The Citizen Times (USA Today Network) reports..."State workers are reviewing more than 1,600 cases that a forensic scientist at the Western Regional Crime Laboratory worked on after she was caught cheating on a certification exam, the state Department of Justice says. "The review thus far has not revealed any issues" with the scientist's work but is ongoing, John Byrd, director of the N.C. State Crime Lab, wrote in a letter Friday to district attorneys who prosecuted cases potentially affected. Byrd wrote scientist Susan Alderman resigned Aug. 14 "after her supervisors confronted her about their suspicions that she cheated on a final training practical exam" four days before. He said supervisors found she "did access unauthorized materials" to help her on the test. Alderman was seeking to resume work as a footwear and tire track examiner after not doing that work for seven years. Her primary job has been identifying fingerprints."

PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "If it turns out that Alderman did anything improper while handling fingerprints, it is possible that convictions obtained in cases she worked on could be vacated, or other scientists would have to re-examine the relevant fingerprint evidence. It was unclear Friday how many cases could be affected. Byrd wrote that the crime laboratory's ombudsman is checking "to determine whether the quality or integrity of Ms. Alderman's case work should reasonably be called into question." He told district attorneys that the lab is "taking several steps to remediate this issue and prevent it from happening in the future."

STORY: "State reviewing crime lab results after it says scientist cheated on test," by reporter Mark Barrett, published by The Citizen Times on August 31, 2018. (Thanks to Dr. Michael Bowers of  CSIDDS - The Forensics and the Law Blog - for bringing this story to our attention. HL);

GIST: "State workers are reviewing more than 1,600 cases that a forensic scientist at the Western Regional Crime Laboratory worked on after she was caught cheating on a certification exam, the state Department of Justice says. "The review thus far has not revealed any issues" with the scientist's work but is ongoing, John Byrd, director of the N.C. State Crime Lab, wrote in a letter Friday to district attorneys who prosecuted cases potentially affected. Byrd wrote scientist Susan Alderman resigned Aug. 14 "after her supervisors confronted her about their suspicions that she cheated on a final training practical exam" four days before. He said supervisors found she "did access unauthorized materials" to help her on the test. Alderman was seeking to resume work as a footwear and tire track examiner after not doing that work for seven years. Her primary job has been identifying fingerprints. She could not be reached for comment Friday. If it turns out that Alderman did anything improper while handling fingerprints, it is possible that convictions obtained in cases she worked on could be vacated, or other scientists would have to re-examine the relevant fingerprint evidence. It was unclear Friday how many cases could be affected. Byrd wrote that the crime laboratory's ombudsman is checking "to determine whether the quality or integrity of Ms. Alderman's case work should reasonably be called into question." He told district attorneys that the lab is "taking several steps to remediate this issue and prevent it from happening in the future."

 

The entire story can be read at:

https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2018/08/31/nc-reviewing-crime-lab-results-after-says-scientist-cheated-test/1157828002/