S.L.E.D. REPORTS CRIME ANALYSIS BACKLOG

It can take the State Law Enforcement Division's forensics laboratory eight
months to a year to complete a drug analysis test for local law enforcement
agencies. But running behind the eight ball is business as usual at the
crime lab, said SLED Lt. Andrew Jordan.

SLED recently released its annual report for 1999, which shows the
forensics lab analyzed 18,664 criminal cases for law enforcement agencies
in the state, including 8,661 drug-identification cases and 3,354
toxicology cases, such as blood-alcohol content tests. In 1998, SLED
analyzed 28,720 cases, including 15,804 drug-identification cases.

Despite the decline in cases, Jordan, who oversees lab standards and
compliance for SLED, said it can take the agency up to a year to confirm
for a police department or solicitor's office that, for instance, the white
powder they sent in for testing is indeed cocaine. He said it can be three
months before SLED gives police the results of even a simple fingerprint
test.

SLED, however, works with local law enforcement agencies to "fast track"
tests needed for court cases or investigations.

"We like to think we have a very cooperative relationship with the local
agencies. And we can fast track evidence, but that also means other tests
are going to be put on the back burner," Jordan explained.

Duffie Stone, assistant solicitor for Beaufort County, said he realizes
asking SLED to speed up its testing of a piece of evidence for one case
means he's also asking it to delay its research into another piece of
evidence for another case.

"I can't ask them to do the impossible," Stone said. "That would be having
them complete all their drug analysis tests in two months."

Jordan said SLED has seen itself wasting time performing tests which are no
longer needed by the requesting agency, such as when a defendant pleads
guilty to a charge before the evidence has been tested.

"Or we might be doing a test for an investigation, but the police officer
handling that investigation leaves his department in the meantime, and the
case goes cold," he said.

For DNA or blood tests, law enforcement is often required to get a court
order for a defendant to submit to the test, delaying the process, Jordan
explained.

He said the only way to assure SLED has no backlog of cases is to staff the
agency beyond need.

"In some cases, we do have problems where something could have been done
faster than it was," said Jordan. "I'm not saying we're perfect. But the
results of our work are going to be perfect."

Stone agrees. He said the tests performed in SLED's crime lab are too
important to be hurried for the sake of bringing a case to trial sooner.

"I'm going to bring a case to trial when I have the evidence needed to win
the case," Stone said. "If a defendant gets released from jail because he
wasn't being given his right to a speedy trial, I have to accept that. But
I'm not going to do a weak job prosecuting a case because I'm in a hurry.
Thorough investigation is more important than time."

The assistant solicitor said he has seen defendants go temporarily free
because their attorneys argued the state was taking too long building its
case. "But I have never seen a case thrown out of court altogether because
it took too long," he said.

Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said backlogs at SLED have not hampered
Sheriff's Office investigations.

"SLED knows as well as I that they do get backlogs. Their responsibility is
very large, covering the whole state," Tanner said. "But if we need SLED to
help us in an emergency situation - a homicide or rape investigation, for
instance - they'll prioritize evidence, jump right on it and get it done."

Although some law enforcement agencies in the state have their own
forensics labs, Jordan estimates SLED performs 90 percent of all forensics
tests in South Carolina. He said the crime lab's 110 employees are also
called upon to provide expert testimony in court and assist in
investigations and prosecutions.

Stone noted that backlogs at SLED haven't prevented his office from
bringing cases to trial. He said the 14th Judicial Circuit, which includes
Beaufort County, is the "fourth quickest to trial" of the state's 16
circuits. "So that's not too shabby," he said.