inside the idaho state police forensic services laboratories

INSIDE THE IDAHO STATE POLICE FORENSIC SERVICES

LABORATORIES

Judges Webinar January 8, 2014

Matthew GametteLaboratory Improvement Manager

Overview

Organization of ISPFS Services of the ISPFS Laboratory System Accreditation Turnaround Times General Challenges New and Upcoming Customer Service

Enhancements

Introduction to ISPFSISPFS Coeur d’Alene Laboratory

ISPFS Meridian Laboratory

ISPFS Pocatello Laboratory

http://www.isp.idaho.gov/forensics/index.html

Introduction to ISPFSService Coeur d'Alene Meridian Pocatello

Controlled Substances Analysis X X X Crime Scene General X X X Crime Scene Clan Labs X X X Fire/Arson Evidence Analysis X Firearms/Toolmarks X Footwear/Tiretrack X DNA X Biology Screening X DNA Database X Latent Print Processing X Latent Print Comparison X Blood Alcohol X X X Breath Alcohol Instrument Calibration X X Drugs in Blood Limited X Drugs in Urine X X

Equivalent Staffing

Controlled Substances 6Toxicology 3Biology/DNA 4DNA Database 3Biology Technical Staff 1Blood Alcohol 3Breath Alcohol 1Latent Prints 5.5Shoe/Tire 0.5Firearms 1Evidence Staff 7

Stuart Jacobson—• Firearms• Blood Alcohol • Controlled Substances

Accreditation

• First accreditation 1987

• First ISO 17025:2005 accreditation in 2007

• Reaccreditation every 5 years

• Current accreditation through 2017

• Over 500 management and analytical requirements

• Yearly internal audit and external assessment of each lab

• Annual report of corrective actions, personnel changes, proficiency

testing

Turnaround Times:Strategic Goal Discipline Average

Turnaround60 days Biology Screening 41 days60 days DNA 28 days90 days DNA Database <30 days30 days Blood Alcohol 22 days30 days Controlled

Substances13 days

90 days Fingerprints 94 days60 days Firearms/Toolmarks 2 cases >60 days*45 days Fire Debris 2 cases >45 days*90 days Shoe/Tire Analysis 6 cases >90 days**45 days Toxicology 18 days

Turnaround times are calculated from the date the evidence submission is complete

Challenges: Court Testimony

• Competing subpoenas from different counties

• Distance

• Travel and waiting time

Scott HellstromPocatello ChemistJanuary 29, 2014

2010 Ada County (CDA lab scientists only)• 146.5 hours analyst time (3.6 weeks)• ~$13,890.00 in salary and travel costs• 6 testimonies for 6.75 hours total• ~$2057.00/hour for expert testimony

Challenges: Court Testimony

Jeremy JohnstonBreath Alcohol Discipline Leader

Solutions: Video TestimonyNew Rule 43.3. Forensic Testimony by Video Teleconference. This new rule allows forensic testimony to be submitted in court proceedings via simultaneous video teleconference. Everyone must be able to see and hear each other and simultaneously communicate. The party wishing to present by video teleconference must give the other party 28 days notice and the other party must object or agree in writing no later than 14 days before the proceeding. The video testimony is recorded in the same manner as any other testimony, and it is up to the party offering the testimony to coordinate the audio visual feed into the courtroom. There is no duty placed on the court.

Challenges: Court Testimony

• Multiple state lab witnesses for same testimony

• ISPFS experts not a party to the case

Challenges: Slowdowns• Instrumental breakdowns (increased with aging

instruments)

• Validation of new instrumentation

• Batching (waiting for enough samples to run)

• Rush requests (slows the other wait times)

• Obtaining all the necessary items on submission

**Turnaround time starts when submission is complete**

Solutions: Slowdowns

• New instruments and maintenance agreements

• Partner with universities and vendors for validation work

• Decreasing backlogs so that rush requests are not necessary

• Training user agencies and using software to solve submission problems

Challenges: Training• Retention of trained scientists

• Recruitment of qualified applicants

• Training periods:

• Latent Prints—2 years

• DNA/Biology—1 to 2 years

• Toxicology—1 to 2 years

• Firearms—2 to 5 years

• Chemistry—6 months to 1 year

Challenges: Drug Court Prelims

• Seeking input from the courts and prosecutors

• Presumptive screening programs for court preliminary

hearings

• Cut down turnaround times

Challenges: Defense Experts

• New Idaho State Law

• Accreditation

• Security

• Contamination

• Efficiency

Challenges: Extensive Discovery

• Requests for documents not applicable to the case (boilerplate)

• Requests for information outside the rules of discovery

• Overbearing requests slow down lab personnel

Lab Response:• Provided in email PDF or on ILIMS as a PDF• Available on our website• Available for review at the lab• Seemingly outside the scope of ICR 16• Not applicable to this case

New Website

Improvements• Online and On-demand

• More information, more difficult, and standardized

• Virtual instruments for practice scenarios

• Written test and practical (hands-on) proficiency testing

• All certificates published online

• Online prelog of evidence• Online status updates• Online reporting and discovery

• Completely paperless• Tablets in the lab• Automated reporting• Efficient

Training• Evidence collection courses using standard presentations• Biology/DNA• Latent Impression/Footwear and Tire impressions• Prosecutor DUI boot camp

Officers of the court free training:• http://nij.gov/training/Pages/forensics.aspx• http://projects.nfstc.org/otc/index.html

matthew.gamette@isp.idaho.gov208-884-7217

Major Clark RollinsClark.rollins@isp.idaho.gov208-884-7202

Discussion of presumptive testing