PRINCE GEORGE'S SEEKS TO BAR DATA IN LAB CASE

Attorneys for Prince George's County are asking a federal judge to block a
former employee of the county's police drug lab--who in a lawsuit
challenging her dismissal alleges widespread irregularities in testing at
the facility--from obtaining further information about the lab's practices.

Allegations by the chemist, Kellie Lynn Campbell, about the quality of work
performed at the lab have led defense attorneys to challenge the lab's
findings in more than 100 drug cases in Prince George's County courts.

The state's attorney's office dropped charges in November against one
defendant in a drug case after Campbell told prosecutors that she could not
vouch for the drug analysis in that case and that there may be problems in
other cases.

A police internal affairs investigation determined that Campbell lied to
prosecutors and police investigators and failed to prepare for a case
assigned to her for trial.

Campbell's civil lawsuit against the police department and the county
alleges that she was fired in March for speaking out about problems in the
drug lab.

In a motion filed in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, county attorneys
contend that Campbell is not entitled to information about the work at the
lab because it is irrelevant to her lawsuit.

Campbell has sought additional information about testing practices at the
lab, which she alleges are substandard and performed with equipment that is
not in proper working order.

In their motion seeking to keep such information from Campbell, Assistant
County Attorneys Rhonda L. Weaver and William A. Snoddy wrote, "The issue is
not whether we have an inadequate lab." They said that if evidence about the
quality of the lab's work were permitted at trial, it would be too
time-consuming and require too many of the county's resources.

The county's motion is being considered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Day.

Campbell's attorneys argued that the drug lab documents and their ability to
question drug lab officials are crucial to their client's case.

"The information regarding problems with drug analysis bolsters Ms.
Campbell's credibility and establishes the veracity of her complaints about
improprieties in the forensic laboratory," wrote Eric L. Siegel and
Francisco J. Ruben, Campbell's attorneys.

They also noted that county attorneys questioned Campbell extensively about
procedures in the drug lab when she was deposed Sept. 17. "It is simply
incredible defendants would assert this information is not relevant," they
wrote.

Campbell's attorneys also said in court papers that police allowed WTTG-TV
(Fox 5) to tour and record footage of the drug lab on Aug. 26 and argue that
they should have the same opportunity.