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Crime Labs

Inside the State Crime Lab: Forensic Testing Explained Webinars

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For the second half of the year, the IDS Forensic Science Education Series will take a deeper look into the testing performed at the State Crime Lab. In each session, an analyst from the State Crime Lab will present about the testing performed in their section of the lab. We hope that the sessions will …

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Criminal defense group visits State Crime Lab

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Here are some staff members from the 39th Defender District PD Office (serving Cleveland and Lincoln counties). Pictured left to right: Tim Hajj (Investigator); Hailey Porterfield (APD); Andrew Arden (APD); Deidre Nachamie (APD); Allison Garren (APD); and Ivana Hughes (APD). About 20 assistant public defenders, private defense counsel, investigators and legal assistants from Rutherford, Lincoln, Cleveland, …

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How to Access NC State Crime Lab Procedures and Quality Records

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Attorneys often ask me how to access the State Crime Lab’s procedures. I have described how to do it in the post below. I encourage everyone to request access to the procedures and records now because it may take at least one business day for your request to be granted. Once you are given access, …

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State Crime Lab Updates

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The State Crime Lab provided their Forensic Update Volume 6, No.1 on Jan. 24, 2022. Attorneys should review the Forensic Update to understand several changes to reports in Drug Chemistry and Toxicology effective Feb. 1, 2022, regarding no longer reporting the schedule of identified substances on drug analysis lab reports and suspending further testing of …

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Forensic Update from North Carolina State Crime Laboratory

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In Dec. 2020, the NC State Crime Laboratory posted a new Forensic Update for criminal justice stakeholders regarding digital evidence. The update addresses how digital evidence should be submitted to the lab and the lab’s examination capabilities. Attorneys should review the Forensic Update to have a better understanding of how the lab will process digital …

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Updated requirements for handling, preservation, and storage of biological evidence

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The NC State Crime Laboratory has updated its evidence protocols pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-268, which requires that the lab review and update its minimum guidelines for the preservation of biological evidence every two years. The procedures were updated in Aug. 7, 2020. Information about these updates was shared with IDS, the Chief …

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What records are available in a death investigation case?

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Attorneys have asked me what discovery should be available from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in cases where an autopsy was performed by that office. The Autopsy Report is a public record. It can be requested through the OCME website, or it can be provided through discovery. Photos, videos, or audio recordings of …

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Independent testing of forensic evidence

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The question of how to have forensic evidence tested or re-tested by an independent laboratory comes up in my case consultations. This post will outline the general process of requesting that evidence be independently tested in a court-appointed case, and I am happy to talk with attorneys about their specific cases and help weigh the …

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Visit to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

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On Friday, August 30, 2019, a group of 20 attorneys, investigators, and law students visited the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). The group met with Dr. Michelle Aurelius, who became the Chief Medical Examiner following Dr. Deborah Radisch’s retirement earlier this summer. The group also met with Brad Brecher, the Agency Legal Consultant …

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Open Forum with the NC State Crime Laboratory CLE

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Friday, October 4, 2019 NC Judicial Center, 901 Corporate Center Drive, Raleigh, NC Co-sponsored by the NC State Crime Laboratory & Office of Indigent Defense Services The NC State Crime Laboratory and NC Office of Indigent Defense Services will offer a free-to-attend CLE that is designed to enhance the knowledge of criminal defense attorneys and …

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Nationwide vacutainer recall raises doubts about blood alcohol tests

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An announcement from Becton Dickinson and Company (BD) may raise doubts about the validity of some blood alcohol tests conducted across the country since August 31, 2018. On May 30, 2019, with a correction made June 12, 2019, BD announced a recall for its “BD Vacutainer® Fluoride Tubes for Blood Alcohol Determinations” product. Vacutainers are …

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Analyst Certification Information

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In 2011, the North Carolina legislature enacted a series of reforms designed to increase the accountability and accuracy of forensic evidence used in criminal trials. The Forensic Sciences Act of 2011 states that State Crime Lab analysts “shall be required to obtain individual certification consistent with international and ISO standards.” Many of the certification organizations post certified …

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