Author: Jenny Deam
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Colorado scientist scandal echoes nationwide cases of misconduct and overturned convictions
The type of scandal at Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s forensic lab has been seen before. In Massachusetts and Oklahoma crime labs, scientist misconduct ultimately triggered tens of thousands of overturned convictions and the release of an innocent man from death row. One man may have been wrongly executed, as well. And while not identical to…
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Colorado scientist scandal echoes nationwide cases of misconduct and overturned convictions
The type of scandal at Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s forensic lab has been seen before. In Massachusetts and Oklahoma crime labs, scientist misconduct ultimately triggered tens of thousands of overturned convictions and the release of an innocent man from death row. One man may have been wrongly executed, as well. And while not identical to…
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Missy Woods preliminary hearing delayed
A Jefferson County district judge on Thursday delayed a preliminary hearing in the case against former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods due to the massive scope and seriousness of her alleged crimes. A new hearing date has been scheduled for May 9. Only one of the 102 counts against her —…
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Decision in murder conviction appeal pushed back, as DNA scandal in Colorado swirls
A decision in the appeal of Michael Clark’s murder conviction was pushed back months on Thursday, as DNA retesting is not yet complete, and it remains unclear if it has even started, leaving all involved in limbo. Clark was convicted more than 12 years ago of the 1994 Boulder murder of Marty Grisham and is…
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Lawsuit targets CBI lab’s quality control process, citing alleged one-minute reviews
Quality control within the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s forensic lab was allegedly so lax that in at least eight instances it appeared the technical review of one scientist checking another’s work lasted just one minute, according to time-stamped documentation included in a new lawsuit filed on Friday. The issue raises questions in the legal community…
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New law on post-conviction counsel access, notification in the works following CBI scandal
A new state law is being sought to demand better notification to defendants of potential wrongful convictions following the scandal at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation involving tainted DNA tests in hundreds of cases going back decades. The Office of the Colorado State Public Defender confirmed to the Denver Gazette on Monday that it is…
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DNA scandal leads to plea deal that frees Colorado murder suspect from custody
A suspect in a decades-old murder and rape in Weld County could be released from jail as early as Friday after the district attorney there “very reluctantly” agreed to a plea agreement because key DNA evidence in the case was compromised by an embattled Colorado Bureau of Investigations forensic analyst. It is believed to be…
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Groups accuse Colorado Bureau of Investigation of skirting oversight in forensic lab investigation
Two groups accused the Colorado Bureau of Investigation of skirting a federally required oversight process to investigate misconduct in its forensics lab, adding to mounting allegations of wrongdoing at the embattled agency. In a five-page letter dated Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado and the Korey Wise Innocence Project demanded more accountability and…
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U.S. Justice Department settles lawsuit against Colorado over disabled residents in nursing homes
The U.S. Department of Justice settled a lawsuit against Colorado for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Prosecutor requests new DNA testing in Colorado murder case tied to CBI scandal
The Boulder County district attorney has asked for new DNA testing in the murder case of a defendant who was convicted largely on the strength of the analysis done by now disgraced Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist Yvonne Woods, who goes by Missy. In a court filing Nov. 1, Michael Dougherty said the additional…