By Associated Press - Sunday, April 6, 2014

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - The University of Alabama and Tuscaloosa County government leaders have been asked to assemble a panel to study the feasibility of launching a local forensic investigation lab.

Circuit Judge Jim Roberts told the Tuscaloosa News (https://bit.ly/1kzV6SV ) that delayed forensic reports in Alabama’s criminal justice system leave all parties involved in criminal cases waiting for information that could be pivotal in court. The delays also leave inmates housed in county jail for longer than necessary, which increases costs to county taxpayers, he said.

“We have to wait months, sometimes a year or more for results,” Roberts said. “Whether you’re a victim, whether you’ve been accused - everyone is having to wait for an overburdened system. It doesn’t matter what side of the coin you’re on. The delay causes the system to be inefficient. It’s a significant problem that we need to address.”

Roberts, District Attorney Lyn Head and Public Defender Joe Van Heest have asked the panel to study how a local forensic lab would be funded, operated and what areas it would serve. The newspaper reported that a state office that handled autopsies and drug evidence for Tuscaloosa and many other western Alabama counties closed years ago and many of the duties were shifted to offices in Montgomery and Hoover.

Having a local forensic lab could make criminal investigations more efficient, said Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit Sgt. Dale Phillips. “It would also speed up the prosecution of cases and would be a win-win for everybody,” he said.

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Information from: The Tuscaloosa News, https://www.tuscaloosanews.com

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