MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul says he’s working on legislation to prevent untested sexual assault evidence kits from piling up.
Thousands of untested kits dating back to the 1980s sat on police and hospital shelves for years in Wisconsin because suspects were already identified, prosecutors felt cases were too weak or victims didn’t cooperate.
Kaul’s predecessor, Republican Brad Schimel, got federal grants in 2015 to test the kits. The work wasn’t completed until October of last year, sparking intense criticism from Kaul on the campaign trail.
Kaul said in an interview Thursday he’s working on a bill that would clarify when kits need to be tested. He did not elaborate on the bill’s specifics but said he hopes it will be introduced in the next few months.
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