December 15, 2010 (Press-News.org) During a recent inspection, the Nassau County, New York, police crime lab was found to have a whopping fifteen issues of noncompliance with accepted standards of crime lab procedures. The issues were enough of a concern for the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) -- the crime lab's accrediting agency -- to place the crime lab on probation for one year.
The lab now has 30 days to submit a plan for ensuring compliance with ASCLD/LAB regulations. If the errors are not corrected in a timely manner, the lab's accreditation could be suspended or revoked.
The Nassau County crime lab is responsible for analyzing and storing evidence for criminal cases. Violations found in the inspection included:
- Using an uncalibrated instrument for measuring blood alcohol content (BAC). The investigation found that the machine was last calibrated in 2007.
- Not properly securing evidence. The lab was found to have left the latent print lab, file storage area and evidence rooms open and unsecured at various times, including when no lab workers were present.
- Not properly marking evidence or containers to ensure chain of custody and prevent cross-contamination
Of the approximately 400 accredited laboratories in the United States, the Nassau County lab is the only one currently on probation. According to Ralph Keaton, executive director of the ASCLD/LAB, indicated that typically only two to three labs are placed on probation a year. This is the second time in four years that the Nassau County crime lab has been placed on probation, however.
Since the work of the crime lab is fundamental to both the prosecution and defense of criminal cases, a former president of the Criminal Courts Bar Association of Nassau County fears that the state "very well may see former convictions called into question, and pending cases scrutinized further."
While the true impact of the actions (or lack thereof) of the crime lab on former and pending cases is yet to be seen, if you have questions or concerns about how the Nassau County crime lab's probation status may affect your case, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney today.
Article provided by Brill Legal Group, P.C.
Visit us at www.brill-legal.com
Nassau County Crime Lab Put on Probation for Violations
During a recent inspection, the Nassau County, New York, police crime lab was found to have a whopping fifteen issues of noncompliance with accepted standards of crime lab procedures.
2010-12-15
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
High Failure Rate Leads to DePuy Hip Implant Recall
2010-12-15
According to The New York Times, nearly 250,000 hip replacement surgeries are performed in the United States every year. In about one-third of those cases, the devices used are "metal-on-metal" implants, where the ball and socket joints of the implants are made of metals like chromium and cobalt.
The Times report notes that these implants, designed to last up to 15 years, have been failing at an alarming rate. In some cases, the devices need to be replaced after only a couple of years.
While the wear and tear associated with the metal can lead to problems, specifically ...
The IRS Tightens Enforcement on IRA Violations
2010-12-15
Individual Retirement Arrangements, or IRAs, are commonly used to shelter and grow retirement funds. According to Forbes, Americans hold $4.3 trillion in IRAs.
The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) recently conducted a review of compliance with IRA rules. The TIGTA urged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to crack down on IRA violations by an estimated half a million taxpayers. Understanding what is allowed and what is prohibited with an IRA can help investors protect their savings and avoid costly IRS tax penalties.
Individual Retirement ...
Expungement of Criminal Records in Michigan
2010-12-15
Have you ever been arrested or convicted of a crime?
You see this question everywhere -- on job applications, school applications, housing applications. While you may think this question really is trying to weed out those who have been convicted of heinous crimes, it applies equally to those who have been convicted of minor offenses, like noise violations, disorderly conduct and minor in possession of alcohol (MIP).
When it comes to criminal records, it doesn't matter if you committed a minor offense or a more serious felony -- the record is created all the same ...
Enforcing Support Judgments Across State Lines
2010-12-15
One of the most complex and confusing areas of law is the authority of a court to act on people outside its jurisdiction. A core element of jurisdiction is contact. For a court to have jurisdiction over a person, the person must have some "contact" with the court.
This means that generally, for an Illinois court to have jurisdiction, you either must live in Illinois or have some transaction that occurs in Illinois. For example, if you are from Indiana and you drive across the border and have a traffic accident, an Illinois court obtains jurisdiction based on that accident. ...
Lawrenceville Clinic Near Gwinnett Medical Center Offers Support for Spanish Speaking Patients
2010-12-15
Rodriguez MD, a Lawrenceville clinic near Gwinnett Medical Center, provides support and medical care to Spanish speaking patients. Opening in September, 2010 Rodriguez MD is a bilingual Lawrenceville family practice with doctors and staff fluent in both Spanish and English. The practice is located in Terrace Park Medical Center on Old Norcross Rd.
Sisters and Lawrenceville doctors, Veronica and Deborah Rodriguez, MD recently launched a patient referral program geared toward other medical practices in the surrounding area. The doctors are using the referral campaign ...
npower and David James Launch First Cap Scheme
2010-12-15
npower and Bristol City goalkeeper David James have just launched the npower First Cap scheme, which rewards children attending their first ever npower Football League match.
Any young fan making their first visit to a League club this season can get their very own cap, and have their photo taken on the pitch before the game.
James - who has been capped 53 times by England - joined youngsters at Ashton Gate to give the caps a head start.
He said: "It's vital clubs do everything in their power to work with local communities to get the next generation of fans down ...
Confused.com Reveals Brits are Losing GBP2.5 Billion Through Poor Insulation
2010-12-15
Confused.com, the home insurance and quote comparison site, has revealed that homeowners in Britain are wasting an estimated GBP2.5 billion through poor insulation in their homes.
Of the 26.5 million homes in the UK, only 13 million have loft insulation, which is a major energy saving method for retaining heat in the home. Confused.com estimates that the lack of loft and cavity wall insulation is costing the nation GBP2,493,500,000 a year.
In addition to this only 10 million homes have cavity wall insulation. Figures suggest households can save GBP145 per year for ...
Owlient Launches New Facebook Social Game
2010-12-15
Owlient, the French online game editor known for games such as Howrse.com and Babydow.com, has now launched its first Facebook game, called 'Howrse for Friends'.
With this new game, Owlient expects to reproduce its previous success with web games but in the social platforms environment.
The company's most popular game, Howrse.com is now present in 12 different markets and Owlient has reached more than 15 million registrations all over the world. The idea is to replicate this big success from a different platform while continuing to develop its leading role in the ...
Fasthosts Reveals that Small Businesses are Cutting Web Design Budgets
2010-12-15
Fasthosts has revealed that British web designers continue to face tough market conditions, according to recently conducted research.
The study of 300 web design firms* by Fasthosts, a leading web hosting provider, finds that whilst 72 per cent have seen an increase in expectations from their SME clients, the majority are struggling with lower budgets and under-cutting by cut-price competitors. 71 per cent of web designers believe that insufficient investment is holding back SME websites.
In the past two years, 1 in 3 web pros have been expected to supply more out-of-hours ...
KLAS Announces the Year's Best-Performing Healthcare IT Software and Services Vendors
2010-12-15
KLAS today released the "2010 Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards: Software & Professional Services" report. The report includes the annual rankings of the best-performing healthcare IT vendors based on more than 17,000 interviews conducted yearly with healthcare providers.
KLAS rankings measure a vendor's performance in areas of product quality, implementation, and service and support. The top-rated companies in key market categories earned the 2010 Best in KLAS distinction, signifying their leadership in meeting customer expectations. The award is reserved for companies in ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Students with multiple marginalized identities face barriers to sports participation
Purdue deep-learning innovation secures semiconductors against counterfeit chips
Will digital health meet precision medicine? A new systematic review says it is about time
Improving eye tracking to assess brain disorders
Hebrew University’s professor Haitham Amal is among a large $17 million grant consortium for pioneering autism research
Scientists mix sky’s splendid hues to reset circadian clocks
Society for Neuroscience 2024 Outstanding Career and Research Achievements
Society for Neuroscience 2024 Early Career Scientists’ Achievements and Research Awards
Society for Neuroscience 2024 Education and Outreach Awards
Society for Neuroscience 2024 Promotion of Women in Neuroscience Awards
Baek conducting air quality monitoring & simulation analysis
Albanese receives funding for scholarship grant program
Generative AI model study shows no racial or sex differences in opioid recommendations for treating pain
New study links neighborhood food access to child obesity risk
Efficacy and safety of erenumab for nonopioid medication overuse headache in chronic migraine
Air pollution and Parkinson disease in a population-based study
Neighborhood food access in early life and trajectories of child BMI and obesity
Real-time exposure to negative news media and suicidal ideation intensity among LGBTQ+ young adults
Study finds food insecurity increases hospital stays and odds of readmission
Food insecurity in early life, pregnancy may be linked to higher chance of obesity in children, NIH-funded study finds
NIH study links neighborhood environment to prostate cancer risk in men with West African genetic ancestry
New study reveals changes in the brain throughout pregnancy
15-minute city: Why time shouldn’t be the only factor in future city planning
Applied Microbiology International teams up with SelectScience
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center establishes new immunotherapy institute
New research solves Crystal Palace mystery
Shedding light on superconducting disorder
Setting the stage for the “Frankfurt Alliance”
Alliance presents final results from phase III CABINET pivotal trial evaluating cabozantinib in advanced neuroendocrine tumors at ESMO 2024 and published in New England Journal of Medicine
X.J. Meng receives prestigious MERIT Award to study hepatitis E virus
[Press-News.org] Nassau County Crime Lab Put on Probation for ViolationsDuring a recent inspection, the Nassau County, New York, police crime lab was found to have a whopping fifteen issues of noncompliance with accepted standards of crime lab procedures.