Results tagged “irmarios”

Apparetly, the troubles at the HPD crime lab aren't quite over yet: An analyst in the lab was suspended last week, accused of improperly handling evidences, which means that police will have to review about 200 narcotics cases. The analyst, whom the Chronicle identifies as James K. Carpenter, reportedly "was not handling evidence in compliance with lab protocols," which led investigators with the police department's Internal Affairs Division to check out the lab last week....

After a three-and-a-half-year shutdown, the DNA secton of HPD's crime lab is marking a week of being back in business — but it's still taking things slow as it works to rebuild public confidence. The DNA lab was shut down in January 2003 after an audit showed it produced questionable results that could affect thousands of criminal cases; the lab recently got its accreditation back and is ready to roll with some extra safety measures in place. Now, all DNA examiners must have at least a bachelor's degree in biology or a related field and have to go through six months of training before they can start handling cases.

A news report from KHOU burst Houstonist's TV bubble this morning: It seems real-life police crime labs aren't really much like the ones on CSI. KHOU had HPD crime lab director Irma Rios and DNA division head Vanessa Nelson check out an episode of the hit crime drama, and they found a few inconsistencies between the show and real life — for example, tests that the show presents as conclusive really aren't. But the biggest...