CRIME LAB

More Problems

NOTHING is more sacred than the principle of trustworthy justice. Lives are
at stake. When society sends a criminal suspect to prison, the public needs
to feel sure that the evidence was accurate and the outcome was as fair as
possible.

That's why the Fred Zain scandal was so horrifying. The former State Police
crime lab chief falsified test results to help obtain convictions, putting
innocent men in prison on rape charges. When DNA tests proved their
innocence, taxpayers coughed up millions to pay for false imprisonment.

That scandal tainted the State Police lab - a taint later reinforced when
another of the lab's chemists, Todd McDaniel, pleaded guilty to falsifying
test results on marijuana.

And now a third problem has surfaced. State Police Superintendent Howard
Hill suspended two more lab officers during an investigation of drug tests.
The FBI has been asked to conduct an independent probe, and an outside lab
will retest evidence from narcotics prosecutions.

With so much stench arising, the public may distrust all evidence presented
in criminal trials by crime lab officers. Maybe it's time to change labs.

Dow Chemical plans to turn the South Charleston Tech Center into a
high-tech park housing numerous scientific ventures. A state-of-the-art
forensic lab, jointly operated by Marshall University and the State Police,
is one possibility under consideration. Also, West Virginia University has
offered to join State Police in operating a Morgantown lab.

Either, or both, sounds good. Any change would be an improvement. We hope
an upgraded lab becomes a reality, and trustworthy justice is achieved.