August 26, 2003, 16:32
Shannon EdmondsWeird Science
The Legislature's new crime lab accreditation law (found in CCP Art. 38.35) gives DPS the authority to exclude from accreditation "an examination or test excluded by [DPS] rule." DPS has posted its proposed rules for the accreditation of crime laboratories and other entities affected by this new law. Those rules (which can be accessed here: DPS Lab Rules (.pdf)) are in the public comment period right now. That means that YOU can have a say in the creation of the permanent rules.DPS is attempting to identify not just those forensic disciplines which need to be accredited, but also those disciplines that do NOT need to be accredited. Specifically, I think they are willing to consider strange, uncommon, or unusual types of forensic or evidentiary analysis that are not the subject of accreditation by an existing national body. Those that are identified before the rules become permanent can be included now, which may prevent much courtroom deliberation and debate later.
If anyone wants to suggest a forensic discipline that should not be accredited, post it here or email it to me at edmonds@tdcaa.com and I will submit it to DPS through the rule comment process. There is no hard deadline, but the sooner, the better.
Shannon
(p.s. - credit for the clever title goes to John Rolater, who, come to think of it, bears a slight resemblance to "Wyatt" from that movie ...
)[This message was edited by Shannon Edmonds on 08-26-03 at .]
