State crime lab to retest evidence from troubled St. Paul lab

Lead prosecutors in Ramsey, Dakota and Washington counties have asked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to re-examine all evidence in pending drug cases previously tested at the St. Paul crime lab where sloppy, unscientific work has been exposed. The retests of evidence in about 350 to 400 cases will begin immediately.

Author:: BMTN Staff
Updated:: Mar 8, 2018
Original:: Aug 2, 2012

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Two out-of-state companies will be paid to evaluate and reform the workflow at the St. Paul Police Department crime lab, MPR reports. The lab halted operations at its drug chemistry division in July after lab employees said they did not follow any written operating procedures. Thousands of drug cases are potentially in question.

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Police Chief Thomas Smith appointed a new head of St. Paul's troubled crime lab on Thursday, Minnesota Public Radio said. Senior Commander Colleen Luna will lead the lab's reorganization, Smith said.

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Minnesota public defenders have decided to review cases involving at least 18 other crime labs after problems were revealed at the St. Paul facility, the Pioneer Press reports. State Public Defender John Stuart said, "The way the [St. Paul] lab was operating regarding drugs raises questions about whether they have proper procedures or validation for fingerprints or ballistics or testing paint chips."

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Drug testing is being temporarily suspended in the St. Paul Police Department crime lab, MPR reports. The action comes after a Dakota County court hearing this week when two crime lab workers and the director of the lab said the lab does not follow any written procedures for drug testing and does not document most of the steps they take when testing evidence for illegal drugs.

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Authorities have busted what they say is certainly the first high-grade "party drug" lab they've found in Ramsey County, and it might be the first in Minnesota, according to the Pioneer Press. The residents of a St. Paul apartment are accused of breaking down prescription drugs, removing components and combining them with other chemicals to create what authorities refer to as "party drugs."

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St. Paul Police Chief Thomas Smith said he became aware of serious concerns about his department's crime lab in the past week, but court records show that Smith's assistant chief and a senior commander knew about the problems months ago, MPR reports.