Columbia County figured in a recent story out of northwest Arkansas with statewide ramifications for the criminal justice system and, while the news is of the good variety, we’ll have to wait and see how good.
A recent Banner-News article reported that a new state crime lab is set to open in Lowell in an attempt to alleviate much of the backlog issues associated with lab facilities’ evidence proving process.
Our county was mentioned in the article because of a trial here that illustrated the crime lab’s inadequate service and response to local law enforcement.
The need for the new crime lab facility in Arkansas was abundantly clear, even for those in Columbia County, according to the article. Testimony from multiple Magnolia Police Department witnesses during a July 11-12 local drug and firearm trial revealed issues with proving “non-violent” crime scene evidence..
According to trial testimony, a handgun was found in the home of the now-convicted drug felon, but the defendant’s DNA and fingerprints were never officially found on the firearm, due to it never being sent to the state crime lab. Substantial circumstantial evidence and first-hand witness testimony resulted in the jury convicting the man of possessing the weapon, according to the article.
When asked by the defense why the lead investigator in the case never sent the weapon for DNA and fingerprint analysis, the officer’s answer was so startling, the judge in the case, Columbia County Circuit Judge David Talley Jr., later noted that he found the lab’s practice “troubling,” the article reported. “They will just send anything back without it ever being tested if it’s not involved in a violent crime,” said MPD Cpt. Michael Caldwell during his witness testimony. Because the trial only involved drug, drug dealing, and firearm charges, the case was deemed as “non-violent” by the state, and not meeting the requirements of significant evidence testing of any non-narcotic items.
That’s the bad news and good news about the new state crime lab. The bad news is local crime fighting efforts are being hampered by the very facility that should be backing them up in investigations and in court. The good news is the new lab should alleviate the backlog.
So, why do we say we’ll have to wait and see how good the good news will be? That’s because, historically, efforts to help the Arkansas Crime Lab be more efficient don’t seem to have worked. Back in the 1980s, the lab was deemed understaffed, resulting in a backlog.
Additional staffing was approved for the lab, but backlogs persisted, so a second lab in Hope was established. And here we are again, adding another lab. We hope not, but don’t be surprised if soon, police departments are again having problems with lab backlogs.
It could be that, in addition to the new lab, or any more new ones, the state Crime Lab needs new administration by folks who can make it operate more efficiently and effectively.