GIST: "The D.C. crime lab is one step closer to being able to test evidence again, after being reaccredited for two major units."
According to documents by the ANSI National Accreditation Board, D.C.'s Forensic Science Laboratory is now accredited again for biology and seized drugs. This means they can conduct DNA testing, drug testing, and fingerprinting.
This accreditation expires April 30, 2028.
The crime lab had its accreditation suspended in April 2021 before getting it revoked in May 2021, over concerns of mishandling evidence and overall lab practices
D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau said she learned the lab sent in its application in October, and that this news bodes well for crime fighting in the District.
"Being able to prosecute higher-level drug offenses, like the sale of drugs, the intent to sell, the people higher up who are pushing these drugs to our street - to our residents, who are becoming addicted to them - that's huge," Nadeau said. "Oftentimes, those transactions can lead to violence. Getting that lab up and running is really important. And getting the fingerprinting up and running is really important. This is just one step forward in all of the things we need to be doing to get crime under control here in the District of Columbia."
Mayor Muriel Bowser released the following statement Tuesday night:
I am pleased to announce that the Department of Forensic Sciences’ (DFS) application for reaccreditation of its Forensic Biology and Forensic Chemistry Units has been approved. Responsible for testing and analyzing biological substances, including DNA, controlled substances and drugs, these reaccredited units will support MPD investigations and will add to our existing network of outside labs as well as those accessible by the U.S. Attorney. We remain focused on reducing crime and that means ensuring all parts of our public safety and justice ecosystem are working at full capacity. Reaccreditation is a critical step in supporting case closure and affording us another tool to advance justice for victims. I want to especially acknowledge the dedication and experienced leadership of Dr. Diaz and the continued hard work of the DFS scientists and staff.
The U.S. Attorney's Office of the District of Columbia, which is the city's top prosecutor, provided the following statement:
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is pleased that DFS has regained its ANAB accreditation in two forensic science units, a critical first step in rebuilding the lab. We wholeheartedly agree with DFS’s decision to immediately begin work in the Forensic Biology Unit on resolving the significant CODIS backlog, which addresses an important public safety issue. Additionally, as an accredited lab, DFS will be able to hire essential experts and staff, enhance its quality assurance system, and further work towards ensuring its experts will be qualified for testing for criminal cases. We appreciate the commitment of DFS, under Dr. Diaz’s leadership, to transparency with our Office as DFS continues the rebuilding process. We believe that under his leadership DFS will take the additional steps that will be necessary for DFS personnel in these two forensic science units to be accepted by our courts as experts. Accreditation is an important mile marker in the journey towards having testifying experts again. We look forward to DFS completing the journey in the coming years, and we are prepared to provide whatever support we can in these efforts.
U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves has faced criticism over the last year after it was revealed his office declined prosecution in two-thirds of cases in 2022, and more than half the cases this year.
During the Public Safety Summit in May, he said most of these declinations were misdemeanors - many of which required testing they could not get from the crime lab without accreditation.
"With drug possession, which makes up a bulk of our misdemeanor offenses, we - of course - have not been able to test drugs since DFS lost its accreditation," Graves said in May.
Despite the excitement, a key unit in the crime lab does not appear to be reaccredited, yet.
That unit is responsible for processing evidence for crimes involving guns.
"It's a huge piece of solving crime around the District of Columbia because of all the gun crimes we have here. Right now, those have to be sent out to other labs, which is more expensive and also those labs don't necessarily have the capacity to do everything we need," Nadeau said.
During that same May Public Safety Summit, the then-chief of staff for the Department of Forensic Sciences - which runs the crime lab - said the process of reaccreditation would be a phased approach.
"Phase 1 being focused on the Forensic Biology Unit and Forensic Chemistry Unit. Then Phase 2 we would increase the scope of accreditation," said Brandy Cramer, the now former chief of staff of the Department of Forensic Sciences.
While the wait for full accreditation continues, city leaders are not standing idle.
Nadeau told 7News it will be important to expand oversight of the crime lab.
"We need to keep holding the lab accountable so that we know when someone commits a crime in the District of Columbia, the evidence around that crime will be collected and processed," Nadeau said. "The oversight role the council has is incredibly huge, but we also need the executive branch of the government to do their job and their role to get the lab up and running, and get it up and running in a way that is accountable - that the public can trust - so we don't lose that accreditation again."
https://wjla.com/news/local/washington-dc-crime-lab-gets-partial-accreditation-two-years-after-having-it-revoked-can-now-process-evidence-again-district-of-columbia-investigations-dna-testing-drug-fingerprints
| PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. 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.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog; |
SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG, AT THE LINK BELOW: HL
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/47049136857587929
FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices.
Lawyer Radha Natarajan;
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
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YET ANOTHER FINAL WORD:
David Hammond, one of Broadwater's attorneys who sought his exoneration, told the Syracuse Post-Standard, "Sprinkle some junk science onto a faulty identification, and it's the perfect recipe for a wrongful conviction.
