Lab tech allegedly faked result in drug case; 7,827 criminal cases now in question - Polidicks

[thumb]http://media.nj.com/sussex_impact/photo/state-police-logo-bf96c492a4615c8f.jpg[/thumb] [url]http://www.nj.com/passaic-county/index.ssf/2016/03/state_police_lab_tech_allegedly_faked_results_in_p.html#incart_river_index[/url] [quote][URL="http://www.nj.com/passaic-county/"]PASSAIC COUNTY[/URL] — A lab technician for the State Police allegedly faked results in a drug case, and has drawn into question [B]7,827[/B] criminal cases on which he worked, according to state officials. Kamalkant Shah worked as a laboratory technician for the State Police laboratory in Little Falls and was found to have "dry labbed" suspected marijuana, according to [URL="http://www.muni-mail.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Fallonmemo.pdf"]a Feb. 29 memo to Public Defender Joseph Krakora from Deputy Public Defender Judy Fallon[/URL]. [B]Shah's essentially accused of making up data.[/B] [B]"Basically, he was observed writing 'test results' for suspected marijuana that was never tested,"[/B] Fallon said in the memo. The memo was released Tuesday on [URL="http://www.muni-mail.com/allegations-of-fraud-at-state-police-forensic-lab/"]the New Jersey Municipal Court Law Update Service's website[/URL]. Shah was removed from lab work on Dec. 10 as soon as the problem was discovered, said Peter Aseltine, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney General. [B]Shah, who received a salary of $101,039[/B], was suspended without pay effective Jan 12, he said. [B]Shah has not been charged with any crime, and is believed to have retired, Aseltine said.[/B] ... [B]"Mr. Shah was observed in one case spending insufficient time analyzing a substance to determine if it was marijuana and recording an anticipated result without properly conducting the analysis," Honig said. [/B] It's unclear what impact the disclosure will have on thousands of drugs convictions, but several attorneys who deal with criminal matters said Wednesday that it wouldn't likely affect the large number of defendants who pleaded guilty to drug possession. [B] According to Fallon's memo, all of Shah's results have been called into question from his 10-year stint at the Little Falls lab. [/B]The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office has not yet "formulated a policy or protocol" to deal with these cases, and is still in the process of identifying cases potentially implicated by Shah's alleged conduct, per the memo.[/quote] Good job. You get paid $100K a year and still can't be motivated to work. I would happily switch jobs with him.

100k a year and you still decide to completely fuck up your career. Jesus christ, this is a DUMB motherfucker.

potentionally fucking over 7,827 peoples lives, nope no crime here.

and this is probably reason such results shall be verified by 2 independent lab workers (or even labs)

[QUOTE=Crimor;49857863]potentionally fucking over 7,827 peoples lives, nope no crime here.[/QUOTE] At least not likely the ones who pleaded guilty. But fucking Hell. Glad he got fired on the spot.

It doesn't seem like he fucked up his career or got 'fired on the spot' [quote]Shah has not been charged with any crime, and is believed to have retired, Aseltine said.[/quote] He's already departed and is happily sailing away in retirement wealth. Hopefully that will all be extracted back from him though. If he can ruin a couple thousands lives, then we can ruin his life. [editline]3rd March 2016[/editline] Though it does say he was suspended without pay in Jan. 12, so the article is not really clear.

[QUOTE=Grandzeit;49857890]At least not likely the ones who pleaded guilty. But fucking Hell. Glad he got fired on the spot.[/QUOTE] something like 98% of cases end up being guilty pleas. i can bet 98% are not actually guilty, so they plea for other reasons, often innocents plead guilty after their money has been siezed, they have no money for lawyers, and the plea deal is 12 months whereas if they dont plea they may get 30 years. Imagine you are in that situation and a lab gives false results that you know are false, but you know will be trusted by the court. The system isn't designed to find the truth.

Didn't this exact thing happen in Toronto a month ago as well?