Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Laboratory crisis that concerns blood ethanol content by HS-GC-FID teaches us yet again the critical role that quality assurance (QA) is supposed to play in forensic laboratories. It is part of any quality management system. In all laboratories, the QA officer should be someone who is wholly independent […]
Training in Forensic Science: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
If you have ever seen me lecture before, you know that one of my themes is the need fro greater education and training in the laboratory for analysts. For years, I have been talking about the “oral tradition” method of training that goes on at forensic laboratories wherein the last person to push the button […]
A “Redo” Book! Are you serious?!?!?! More on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Laboratory
Forensic scientists make mistakes. At the end of the day, they are human. But in criminal law and forensic science or just plain old science in general, you have to report out and document your errors. Apparently, this major legal lesson and scientific precept was lost on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment […]
Breaking News: Crisis at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
On June 7, 2013, the Attorney General of Colorado in an unprecedented move released the findings of a report into the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and blood ethanol testing. It paints a very grim picture of undereducated, undertrained and unsupervised work. You can read the full report here. Later this week, we […]
The Forensic Lab Worker Retirement Plan Again: Screw up Tests, Skip Steps…. Retirement Life
Ahh yes. It’s time for our latest edition of “Lifestyles of the Newly Retired.” Here is another example of the greatest retirement plan in all of government. If you do bad science, with potential false convictions or undue exonerations, you are tampering with evidence. In all 50 states and in the federal system, tampering with […]
Chemical Measurement Process and The Calibration Function: How to best calibrate an instrument used in forensic science
The technical goal of any calibration related effort is t0 achieve a meaningful and valid CMP. According to The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC): Chemical Measurement Process (CMP): An analytical method of defined structure that has been brought into a state of statistical control, such that its imprecision and bias are fixed, […]
Retention of Biological Samples: In a DUI case, how long is long enough?
Suppose the following: You are driving home. You get stopped by the police. You are arrested for DUI. You are requested and give a sample of your blood. The blood goes to a laboratory and is analyzed. The results get transmitted to the police a few days later. The police type it up a few […]
Marijuana Field Test False Positive Leads to SWAT-style Raid of Innocent Home Owner’s Basement Lawful Tomato Growing
I’ll just let this one speak for itself…. Marijuana Field Test False Positive Leads to SWAT-style Raid of Innocent Home Owner’s Basement Lawful Tomato Growing Leawood family gets some answers about marijuana raid Bob Harte says police saw them buying hydroponic system for indoor garden LEAWOOD, Kan. —A Leawood family tried for more than a […]
Roadside breath testing for drugs?
There is little doubt that there is a research push for roadside testing for screening purposes for drugs of abuse and illicit drugs. All one needs to do is to come to any national or regional forensic science meeting or pull the various agendas to see what is being discussed. It’s oral fluid roadside testing […]
The Forensics Behind Bombing Investigations: Boston Marathon Explosive Forensics
As more and more details emerge with the tragedy in Boston and as we now know that there is a suspect in custody, we all breathe a collective sigh of relief. I am sure that all who read this post are shocked and appalled by this needless loss of life and horrific deliberate and inexcusable […]
Dry-lab get a promotion, become the chief, get discovered, and retire
Life is good for crime laboratory analysts. In the normal course of forensic science events. If you dry-lab, meaning you report out results when in fact you did not perform an analysis, you are efficient in the laboratory. You are someone who gets rewarded typically with a promotion. Heck, they even may make you chief […]
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