In case you missed it, the COA released State v. Booth on Oct. 18, 2022, dealing in part with lay opinions by officers identifying marijuana as such based on sight and odor only and without a proper lab test identifying the levels of delta-9 THC. The officer in Booth was permitted to testify that he could …
Drug Analysis
Epic Massachusetts crime lab Scandal may involve even broader wrongdoing, judge says
Crime lab mistakes man’s Tums for cocaine; Audit underway
A Guide to All the (Technically) Legal Cannabinoids You Can Buy Right Now
Cops Are Still Fainting When They Touch Fentanyl
Hemp remains legal in NC
With Governor Cooper signing it into law yesterday Senate Bill 455 which permanently excludes hemp from the legal definition of marijuana under state law in NC, hemp’s future as a widely-available consumer product in our state seems secure. Under the new legislation, the previous requirement that the hemp be cultivated or possessed by a grower …
Lawsuit claims authorities downplayed Wilmington crime lab issues, kept quiet about missing drugs
State to repay thousands of defendants who were convicted based on evidence analyzed by disgraced chemists
Faulty Police Field Tests Said This Trucker Was Carrying 700 Gallons of Meth. It Was Diesel.
Announcing Expert Services Project
We want court appointed attorneys to use experts, and we want using experts to be easier for attorneys. Access to qualified expert services is essential to the provision of indigent defense. To better equip the North Carolina public defense community with the resources it needs to achieve fair and just outcomes for clients, Indigent Defense …
N.Y. Prisons Punished 1,600 Based on Faulty Drug Tests, Report Finds
State v. Gibbs (unpub)(2021)
NCSCL drug chemistry analyst Jennifer West testified about whether fentanyl was an opiate or opioid. Trial court erred in admitting West’s testimony because she lacked training on the issue of whether fentanyl was an opiate or opioid.