Houston Criminal Law News » forensics

Houston’s Gun Testing Also Backed Up

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:57:31 +0000

The news of Houston’s rape kit backlog has been widespread and public outrage at the delays has even resulted in the state bringing in independent researchers to help speed up the process. But now new reports have emerged saying the Houston PD is lagging on their forensic testing of gun evidence as well.

The Houston Chronicle has reported that over 300 guns are waiting to be tested as well. The lab director has defended her team by explaining that new staff members are on the way and that in a little over a year, robotics will help speed up the testing process even more. She says their current priorities are crimes that involved violence and crimes where suspects have already been identified.

Houston criminal lawyers seem to agree that while the backlog is disappointing, the police department has set its priorities right, as testing evidence in cases with suspects can help reduce the number of persons wrongly charged and arrested for crimes.

Image via Svadilfari [Flickr]

Houston Oks Contracts to Process Rape Kits

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:18:37 +0000

The city of Houston has approved a contract to process over 4,000 rape kits that have been currently backlogged. The contracts will go to four separate companies and cost the city $4.2 million dollars. The contracts will last three years and include two options for one-year extensions.

Unfortunately, the backlogs will have to wait a while, because only $475,000 has been allocated for this fiscal year. For now, the Houston Police Department is expected to prioritize their cases in order to process the most important and pressing matters first, particularly those where suspects have already been identified. Houston criminal attorneys say these are the most critical situations because they also may help release innocent suspects from wrongful accusations.

The huge backlog has been able to pile up as the police forensics department has been understaffed for some time.

To read more about the issue, see the article in the Houston Chronicle. Image via NobMouse [Flickr].