The McClatchy Twins have an article out today on the State Bureau of Investigation’s attempts to have their lab analysts become nationally certified in respond to previous problems with quality of their work. The story begins:
A year and a half ago, in the face of mounting criticism, State Bureau of Investigation leaders vowed that the agency’s forensic crime laboratory would employ the best and brightest analysts and get them nationally certified in their specialty.
Over the last year, SBI leaders worked hard to deliver. But a problem surfaced this month: About 25 analysts failed those certification exams, results that SBI leaders say they accidentally kept a secret.
Now, SBI leaders are resisting handing over the information, saying the test results are private personnel records and can only be turned over with a court order.
Which is patently absurd. As the article notes, the defense is clearly entitled to information on whether the analysts that worked on the case may have failed the exam and the government is obligated to turn that information over. And it’s not as if obtaining a court order would be difficult — that’s something prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys do all the time. So it’s mystifying why the SBI is trying to play a game of hide the ball that they can’t possibly win. That certainly does nothing to rebuild public confidence.
Bonus observation: And where’s Attorney General Roy Cooper in all this? And it’s still beyond comprehension that the Republicans couldn’t find anyone to run against Cooper.
