Bipartisan Crime Lab Bill
KREX News 5
[{'start': '0.833', 'end': '7.106', 'text': 'CRIME LABS HERE IN COLORADO  PASSED THE HOUSE AND SENATE  YESTERDAY. THE BILL CO-  SPONSORED BY REPRESENTATIVE  MATT SOPER COMES ON THE HEELS  OF A COLORADO BUREAU OF  INVESTIGATION SCANDAL. ARIANA  BOS HAS MORE.  *PK*) YESTERDAY, A BILL  TARGETING CRIME LAB MISCONDUCT  PASSED THE HOUSE AND SENATE  WITH UNANIMOUS BIPARTISAN  SUPPORT. SPONSORS OF H-B  TWENTY-FIVE DASH- TWELVE  SEVENTY- FIVE SAY THE BILL  ESTABLISHES PROCEDURES TO  PREVENENT LAB MISCONDUCT WITHIN  THE COLORADO BUREAU OF  INVESTIGATION. COLORADO  REPRESENTATIVE MATT SOPER, A  PRIME SPONSOR OF THE BILL,  TELLS US IT ALL STARTS WITH  TRANSPARENCY. "IF A STATE  ACTOR HAS HAD MISCONDUCT IN  THE STATE LAB, THEY MUST  NOTIFY THE PROSECUTOR, DEFENSE  ATTORNEYS IN THE CASE, AND THE  VICTIMS, AND THE DEFENDANT IN  THE CASE, SO THAT ALL THE  PARTIES KNOW THAT THEIR CASE  WAS POSSIBLY IMPLICATED."  SOPER TOLD ME THE BILL ALSO  INCLUDES A DUTY FOR THE STATE  LAB TO INVESTIGATE REPORTED  MISCONDUCT, AND IT ALSO  PROVIDES A PATHWAY FOR  INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WRONGLY  CONVICTED TO HAVE THEIR CASE  REVIEWED BY THE STATE. "THERE  WAS NOTHING ON POINT WITHIN  STATE LAW THAT WE COULD HAVE  USED, SO THAT\'S WHY WE HAD TO  CHANGE STATUTE RIGHT AWAY."  THE LEGISLATION CAME IN  RESPONSE TO THE ONE HUNDRED  AND TWO COUNT FELONY  INDICTMENT OF YVONNE "MISSY"  WOODS, A FMER FORENSIC  SCIENTIST AT THE COLORADO  BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION WHO IS  ALLEGED TO HAVE MANIPULATED  DATA IN OVER ONE- THOUSAND  CASESES DURING HER THIRTY- YEAR  CAREER. "THE MISSY WOODS CASE  INSPIRED THIS BILL. CERTAINLY  IF SOMEONE\'S CASE WAS  IMPLICATED BY THE MISSY WOODS  CASE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE  THAT THEY HAVE A PATH TO BE  EXONERATED." COLORADO BUREAU  OF INVESTIGATION DIRECTOR  CHRIS SHAY-FER RELEASED A  STATEMENT ON THE BILL, SAYING  QUOTE, "THE COLORADO BUREAU OF  INVESTIGATION IS COMMITTED TO  INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY AND  THIS BILL SUPPORTS THOSE  VALUES. WE BELIEVE THIS BILL  IS A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD  IN REINFORCING PUBLIC  CONFIDENCE IN THE WORK OF OUR  CRIME LABRATORIES. THE  PROVISIONS FOR REPORTING,  NOTIFICATION, AND  POST-CONVICTION RELIEF ARE  CRUCIAL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND  FOR UPHOLDING THE RIGHTS OF  ALL INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN  THE JUSTICE SYSTEM." "CBI\'S  STATEMENT IS VERY REFRESHING.  THEY HAVE SEEN THAT THEY HAD A  PROBLEM AND NOW TOGETHER WE\'RE  ADDRESSING THAT  *CAM *) REPRESENTATIVE  SOPER TELLS US THE BILL NOW  GOES TO GOVERNOR POLIS FOR  SIGNATURE. NO DAY OR LOCATION  OF THAT SIGNING HAS BEEN'}]