2014/08/26

The State August 23, 2014: People wrongly imprisoned? Drug cases likely flawed as Columbia's police lab shut down

The Columbia Police Department has shut down its drug lab after an investigation found an analyst in the lab was not properly trained and her handling and analysis of drugs seized in criminal investigations were likely flawed.

That analyst – who apparently isn’t qualified to do expert drug scientific analysis – has testified and provided evidence for criminal court cases in recent years and therefore those cases may be compromised, 5th Circuit Solicitor Dan Johnson said Saturday.

On Friday, Johnson notified numerous attorneys who are members of the Midlands Bar that drug evidence in cases handled by Columbia police drug analyst Brenda Frazier was potentially flawed. These cases include crack cocaine and marijuana charges, Johnson indicated.

Johnson, who oversees cases in the 5th Circuit’s Richland and Kershaw counties, didn’t know how many cases there were in which Frazier had testified or had vouched for evidence. more