Science Thursday – May 3, 2012

A Texas District Attorney discloses crime lab problems, and federal prosecutors respond to a problematic hair comparison case. Here’s this week’s round up of forensic news:

Harris County District Attorney, Pat Lykos, has publicly disclosed issues that a

controlled substances analyst has been suspended for problems in casework

. Notably, the District Attorney is not only asking for retesting of all the analyst’s cases but is also notifying defendants and their attorneys.

Federal prosecutors have agreed to

overturn the murder conviction of Santae Tribble

, acknowledging the errors in the hair evidence used in his case.

Instead of abolishing the medical examiner’s office in Tuscaloosa and replacing it with an elected coroner, an Alabama State Senator considers

amending his bill to allow the county to contract for medical examiner services

with the State Department of Forensic Sciences.