Though the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office says that this mistake has not impacted anyone in custody or had an influence on any cases, this recent "mistake" should serve as a reminder of the possible errors that can occur in the handling of evidence. Perhaps this error did not lead to anyone's rights being violated in a San Jose criminal case but what is to prevent another error in the future that might have a serious impact?
According to a recent San Jose Mercury News story, "Crime lab uses wrong chemical in 2,500 methamphetamine tests in Santa Clara County," lab analysts made a serious mistake when testing the blood of drug suspects. A lab technician loaded a lab machine with the wrong chemical compound and the mistake was not uncovered for approximately two months at the beginning of this year. The lab's procedures are now being carefully reviewed to limit the chances of such an error occurring in the future.
In a statement issued from his office, Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen said “Human error will always exist within the criminal justice system. However, it is vital that we quickly find any possible mistakes and quickly fix them. We did that in this case.”
The latest error at the lab is a serious lapse. It is not the first. The San Jose Mercury News story reminds the public that questionable fiber testing at the lab led to the dismissal of murder charges several years ago. The same mistake lead to the release of a man who had been held for five years for armed robbery. These and other examples serves as a reminder for San Jose criminal defense lawyers and their clients: every detail of a case, including how evidence is handled by law enforcement officials, must be analyzed. If mistakes were made in the criminal justice system, such mistakes must be acknowledged.