Yikes - quite the police scandal in Boston

From several sources. First, from Boston station WBZ:

Special Unit Formed To Sort Out State Drug Testing Lab Scandal
Massachusetts announced formation Thursday of a central office to sort through the tens of thousands of criminal cases that may have been compromised by the mishandling of drug evidence at a state lab, while also broadening the investigation to determine whether problems extended beyond a single chemist at the now-shuttered lab.

Gov. Deval Patrick named David Meier, a defense attorney and former prosecutor, to head the office, which will act as a �clearinghouse� for information while attempting to connect specific cases to drug samples tested by the chemist, Annie Dookhan, over a nine-year period at the lab. The state Department of Public Health formerly operated the lab.

Patrick also said he has asked Attorney General Martha Coakley to conduct a separate review to determine if any problems identified at the lab could have affected the reliability of drug testing in cases other than those handled by Dookhan, who resigned in March.

From the Boston Globe:

A forensic chemist might be expected to test about 2,500 samples in a given year, according to Garth Glassburg, a core member of the Scientific Working Group for the Analysis of Seized Drugs, a group of international scientists and investigators that recommends minimum standards for forensic examinations. But state officials have indicated that Dookhan handled more than 60,000 cases over the course of her 9-year career, almost three times what might be expected.

�That�s a robust number,�� said Glassburg, who heads the Northeastern Illinois Regional Crime Laboratory. He stressed, however, that statistics depend on context. Testing for heroin and cocaine, for example, is pretty straightforward. Anabolic drugs and those in capsule form, he said, are more labor intensive.

The potential for miscarriages of justice in these cases is enormous. Just how big won�t be known until prosecutors and defense attorneys can sort through all of Dookhan�s cases to determine if the alleged mishandling of drug samples led to wrongful convictions or incarcerations. Governor Patrick has shut down the lab. Its duties have been transferred from the Department of Public Health to the State Police. But the depth of incompetence and malfeasance at the shuttered lab is still unknown.

A bit more:

One of the most disturbing elements of this case is the roughly eight months that passed between June 2011, when a supervisor discovered that Dookhan was likely tampering with evidence and logbooks, and the first indication to the Norfolk district attorney that his drug cases might be tainted. It took even longer for prosecutors in other counties to learn of the problem. Much of the time lag falls on the shoulders of lab directors and supervisors. One has resigned and another has been terminated. But the reputation of John Auerbach, the state commissioner of Public Health, has been badly soiled by this mess, as well. He wasn�t informed of the problem for six months, according to state officials. But he also failed to come forward quickly. It�s hard to imagine that Auerbach will continue on the job much longer. Regardless, he owes the public an explanation.

And from the Dorchester, MA Reporter:

�Rogue� chemist dealt with 1,141 imprisoned felons
The chemist at the center of a massive evidence tainting scandal at a state lab handled drug samples for 1,141 felons currently serving time in a state prison, jail or county house of correction, according the attorney leading the probe.

Lawyers are going to have a field day. I bet that many are already blocking out time on their calenders. This is going to be very expensive for a state that doesn't have much money (being a poster child for the tax and spend economic model).