Shake-Up At NC Crime Lab

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is under new leadership as the former chief was recently removed and placed in another position within the state’s Department of Justice. Her removal follows serious criticism of the crime lab under her direction and her recent acknowledgement of ignorance to many of the Bureau’s policies.

According to the Raleigh News and Observer, she is being replaced by the Attorney General’s legislative liaison. Many wonder if this substitution will bring improvement or if someone from outside the agency would be a better move toward the drastic improvements needed in the Bureau and the crime lab.

The SBI’s crime lab has been under scrutiny for years but more recently because of the DNA exoneration of Greg Taylor. Taylor served nearly two decades in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Faulty bloodstain analysis played a major role in the case against him.

The SBI agent overseeing bloodstain evidence testified at Taylor’s trial that stains on his truck were, in fact, blood when he knew them to be otherwise. This wasn’t the only case in which the same agent was criticized for false testimony while under oath.

SBI bloodstain pattern analysis has been indefinitely suspended while the agency undergoes some serious quality control.

Evidence is the meat of any criminal case. Whether it’s a murder case or a drug possession case, the prosecution relies on the evidence to gain a conviction. When the integrity of that evidence is questionable, it can completely destroy the prosecution’s case.

Interestingly, the Bureau Chief who was removed is leaving for a potentially higher-paying position within the new state Medicaid fraud unit. While people are highly critical of this seeming promotion, others are just relieved to see her out of the crime lab.

As criminal defense attorneys, the evidence is one of the first thing we discuss with a potential client. What the prosecution has against you can often tell me what chances you have for a favorable outcome at court.

If the evidence was seized illegally or if there was an issue with the way it was processed, we could move to have your case dismissed. At the very least, poor evidence can lead to a favorable plea agreement.

If you’re facing criminal charges in North Carolina and want to discuss the evidence against you, contact us for a free consultation on your case.