houston – A former Houston Forensic Science Center analyst has been in the spotlight after being accused of improperly handling evidence in nearly 400 cases.
Murder of Migos rapper Takeoff at Houston bowling alley, among nearly 400 cases flagged for forensic failures
KPRC2’s Lechelle Turner spoke with defense attorneys Rick DeToto and Anthony Osso Jr. Both attorneys are former prosecutors and had similar answers on issues involving the Houston Forensic Science Center.
“This is a domino effect, a small problem that affects 400, hundreds of cases at a time. It creates a backlog of documents. Now that this problem has been identified, prosecutors can reexamine the evidence. Or the evidence needs to be reanalyzed, and as a result, both the prosecution and the defense will move to proceed and reset the case,” Osso said. said.
One of the cases concerns the murder of Migos rapper Takeoff and his murder suspect Patrick Clark. The Harris County Attorney’s Office notified Clark’s attorney that the forensic analyst was fired last month due to “lack of quality of work.”
Attorney Rick DeToto is not involved in the case.
In this situation where she is accused of doing something like this, would she help someone who is accused of murder or something really, really bad?
“There’s a good chance it could help a defendant charged with a major case, whether it’s DNA or blood or any type of chemical testing. The biggest question is, what role did this person play in this case?” That’s what we need to look into. And did they actually withdraw the evidence? Did they put it in a tube? Those are things that we need to look into. Officials can simply say, “Hey, something like this happened, I’m going to report it.” But that’s just the beginning. The hard work begins when you start digging into the details, pulling out all the evidence and finding out what testing procedures the person did. So there is a good chance that it will be helpful,” DeToto said.
What does this mean for some families seeking justice?
“Yes, this is a nightmare for defense attorneys, but it’s also a nightmare for the families involved in these cases and seeking justice. There will be delays,” DeToto said.
Could this help someone accused of a heinous crime if we don’t necessarily know if all the evidence is being processed correctly?
“Well, Mr. Rechelle, that’s an interesting question. I don’t know if it’s hurtful or helpful. I, as a defendant and as a defense attorney, believe that all of the evidence presented against my client follows protocol and procedure. We want to make sure that we do that and that there is integrity behind it,” Osso said.
What is a Brady Notification?
“So there seems to be a suspicion that she may have exchanged samples. And we as criminal defense attorneys have a tremendous amount of work dealing with DNA and samples when it comes to chemical testing, so that could happen.” That’s the worst case scenario. So, in that situation, the prosecutor would notify the defense that there is evidence that could show that the person could be acquitted or impeached in this case. There is an absolute obligation,” DeToto said.
How do you think the judge will handle this issue?
“Well, I don’t think there will be a comprehensive process. I think each judge will handle it independently in their own way, but I think they recognize that there is already a backlog. “It will give us time to resolve the issue, but there will be a lot of pressure from the judge to resolve it quickly,” Osso said.
The issue adds to an already significant backlog of cases. Families waiting for justice to be served in the case of a loved one may have to wait even longer.
I don’t know if these are murders, assaults, or rapes, but as a reporter, it’s my passion to keep you informed and find solutions to these problems.
If you or someone you know is affected by this issue, please contact me. I would like to share your story. My email address is rturner@kprc.com.
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