Piece of Paper No Longer Cuts It: Lab Technicians Must Testify in Criminal Cases
For years a piece of paper proving that a driver had a blood-alcohol content above the legal limit was probably enough evidence for a conviction - with no actual testimony from a person who conducted the blood test.
These days, that is no longer the case, according to a Los Angeles Times story. In criminal cases where a lab test is part of the evidence, a lab technician - who can verify the authenticity of a blood test or that the cocaine in question is in fact cocaine - must be available to testify.
As a result of this federal legislation, cases in some states have already been thrown out.
Some defense attorneys say this new legislation will probably rarely come into play, and it may be changed when a new supreme court justice is appointed.
See the full story from the LA Times.
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:12 pm
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August 4th, 2009 at 9:22 am
This is an absolute victory because it allows the defense to put the process on trial.
August 12th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
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August 29th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
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