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• 'Negligence' by SF police cited in drug lab case

  August 21, 2010 2:50 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon says negligence by some police officials is partly to blame for a drug scandal at the city's crime lab. Gascon did not name specific individuals at a news conference on Friday, citing personnel protections. But he said the officials had failed... more »

• Judge cleared of bias in SF police lab scandal

  August 6, 2010 9:18 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A San Francisco judge accused of conflict of interest by prosecutors because of a key ruling in the police drug lab scandal has been cleared of bias. District Attorney Kamala Harris' office complained that Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo had a financial interest to rule against prosecutors... more »

• San Francisco DNA lab chief resigns

  June 23, 2010 8:51 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The manager of the San Francisco Police Department's backlogged DNA laboratory has resigned. Assistant Chief Jeff Godown says civilian manager Matt Gabriel's DNA lab position will remain unfilled. City officials are considering privatization of the DNA lab, which is part of the embattled police crime lab shaken... more »

• SF controller recommends closure of crime lab

  June 16, 2010 10:19 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco's controller is recommending the city close its embattled crime lab and outsource the testing conducted there. In a report released Tuesday, Controller Ben Rosenfield says the move would save the city money. The drug analysis unit of the lab has already been shuttered after allegations... more »

• SF DA tells attorneys about problem at drug lab

  June 15, 2010 11:09 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The San Francisco District Attorney's Office is informing defense attorneys about a retired drug lab technician's conviction on a domestic violence charge and a court finding against a toxicology lab supervisor that could affect their clients' convictions. In letters being sent to the attorneys, prosecutors say they... more »

• Judge criticizes handling of problems at crime lab

  May 21, 2010 1:04 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A judge has harsh words over how San Francisco prosecutors handled problems at the city's embattled crime lab. Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo on Thursday said that San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris' office had violated defendants' rights by failing to tell defense attorneys about concerns involving... more »

• SF police to permanently contract out drug testing

  May 5, 2010 5:07 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco officials have decided to permanently outsource drug testing from its crime laboratory. The drug analysis unit of its crime lab has been indefinitely shuttered since March after allegations surfaced that a former lab technician was skimming cocaine evidence. Prosecutors have dismissed more than 600 drug... more »

• Auditors weren't told of problems at crime lab

  April 25, 2010 5:40 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The head of a board that would determine if the San Francisco police crime lab met the standards for accreditation says board members were not told of potential problems at the lab while they conducted an audit. Auditors with the accreditation board of the American Society of... more »

• SF DA says AG will handle any charges in crime lab

  April 23, 2010 7:05 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris says the state Attorney General's office will handle any possible prosecution against a former crime lab technician who admitted to skimming cocaine evidence at work. Harris said Friday that she has asked the AG's office to intercede because her staff may... more »

• SF public defender yet to receive more documents

  April 16, 2010 9:42 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco's public defender's office has yet to receive additional documents they're seeking regarding the city's troubled crime lab. Deputy Public Defender Chris Gauger said Friday that police want a protective order on hundreds of documents that Judge Anne-Christine Massullo ruled Thursday must be turned over. Prosecutors... more »

• Judge rules for release of more crime lab papers

  April 15, 2010 8:06 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A San Francisco judge has ruled that police and prosecutors must turn over even more documents to defense attorneys regarding the city's embattled crime lab. Judge Anne-Christine Massullo issued the ruling on Thursday, two days after defense attorneys received more than 1,000 pages on the troubled lab.... more »

• Officials dealing with cat problem at crime lab

  April 4, 2010 6:39 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Officials are dealing with another issue at San Francisco's embattled police crime lab. Feral cats are living in a hangar at the lab, which used to be part of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. During a recent tour of the lab, newly promoted Assistant Chief Jeff Godown... more »

• Woman in SF drug lab probe charged in San Mateo

  April 3, 2010 3:32 PM

  REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) The woman accused of skimming drugs from San Francisco's crime lab for her own use is facing a felony cocaine possession charge in San Mateo County. Sixty-year-old Deborah Madden was charged Friday. She has been ordered to appear in San Mateo County Superior Court on Monday,... more »

• Prosecutors back off cases dropped in scandal

  April 1, 2010 6:34 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco prosecutors are backing off a statement about the number of drug cases that may be dropped because of a scandal at the drug lab involving stolen evidence. After saying another 1,000 cases could be dropped, district attorney's office spokesman Brian Buckelew said later Thursday that... more »

• Prosecutors back off cases dropped in scandal

  April 1, 2010 6:34 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco prosecutors are backing off a statement made earlier Thursday about the number of drug cases they may have to drop because of the scandal-plagued crime lab. After saying as many as 1,000 cases may have to be dropped, District Attorney's Office spokesman Brian Buckelew says... more »

• 1,000 SF cases to be dismissed in lab scandal

  April 1, 2010 6:34 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco prosecutors are dropping an estimated 1,000 drug cases due to the scandal-plagued police crime lab. A District Attorney's Office spokesman said Thursday the dismissals come on top of about 550 cases that were already dismissed or not charged because the lab was unable to test... more »

• New audit of SF crime lab shows overworked staff

  March 30, 2010 4:09 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A new state audit says San Francisco's scandal-plagued crime laboratory is overworked and understaffed. The audit by the state Department of Justice and the Sacramento County District Attorney's office says that lab staff is overwhelmed trying to meet a 48-hour deadline to analyze drug evidence so prosecutors... more »

• More cases may be dropped in crime lab scandal

  March 28, 2010 7:04 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco prosecutors say an additional 1,400 cases may be dropped this week because of a scandal at the crime lab. Brian Buckelew, a spokesman for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, says the additional cases would be come on top of the 500 cases that have... more »

• SF Public Defender wants independent crime lab

  March 25, 2010 8:03 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco's top public defender is pushing for a crime lab that is not overseen by the city's police department. During a news conference Thursday, Public Defender Jeff Adachi said the crime lab has lost credibility after recent allegations of evidence tampering by a former technician. The... more »

• Judge tells cops, DA to turn over crime lab papers

  March 24, 2010 1:17 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A San Francisco Judge has ordered the police and the District Attorney to turn over more than 1,100 pages of documents related to the city's embattled crime lab. Judge Anne-Christine Massullo is seeking whether authorities knew about alleged mishandling of drug evidence and withheld it from defense... more »

• Prosecutors say 180 cases dropped in lab scandal

  March 19, 2010 1:13 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco prosecutors say 180 drug cases have been dropped since allegations surfaced last week that a longtime lab technician stole cocaine evidence. A police spokesman says officials are providing crash courses in basic testing of drugs to officers in the hopes that prosecutors will have sufficient... more »

• Reshuffling at SF crime lab amid drug probe

  March 19, 2010 1:13 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco police are temporarily changing leadership at its crime laboratory as the investigation continues into alleged mishandling of drug evidence. Police Chief George Gascon said Friday that assistant lab chief Jeff Godown will take over oversight of lab investigations in place of James Mudge. Ingleside Station... more »

• More SF drug cases dropped as lab probe continues

  March 15, 2010 6:23 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco prosecutors say they hope to have drug testing for pending court cases back on track by the end of the week, as the investigation continues into alleged mishandling of evidence. Prosecutors say as of Monday they've had to drop about 120 cases since authorities halted... more »

• SF judge gives prosecutors a week to retest drugs

  March 13, 2010 11:58 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A San Francisco judge has given prosecutors a week to retest drug samples in 35 pending narcotics cases following allegations that a technician at the police department's drug lab stole cocaine evidence. Superior Court Judge Charles Haines Friday delayed the cases until March 19. Prosecutors had asked... more »

• More SF drug cases dropped amid crime lab scrutiny

  March 11, 2010 8:38 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) More than two-dozen drug-related cases were dismissed in San Francisco courtrooms for a second day stemming from allegations on evidence handling in the city's crime lab. Assistant District Attorney Brian Buckelew says between 25 and 30 cases were dropped Thursday as authorities investigate accusations that longtime lab... more »

• Drug testing halted at San Francisco crime lab

  March 10, 2010 1:18 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Officials have stopped all drug testing at San Francisco's police crime lab as they investigate allegations that a technician stole cocaine. Police Chief George Gascon announced the investigation Tuesday night, and said he believes the alleged theft is limited to one employee. He said an external review... more »

• SF drug cases at risk amid crime lab questions

  March 10, 2010 1:18 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco's public defender says hundreds, possibly thousands, of drug cases could be in jeopardy following questions of evidence handling at the city's crime lab. Public Defender Jeff Adachi said Wednesday he had no idea that authorities were investigating allegations that longtime lab technician Deborah Madden stole... more »