Many people have seen the recent press of allegations I made of improper practices occurring while I was employed at the Vermont Department of Health Laboratory.
I have and always believed that my duty as an expert witness is to testify for the science. I never knowingly testified that a test was accurate when it was not and would not have lied to aid one side over the other. I always stated what my opinions were based on and if using a document created by someone else I answered that they would have to ask that person, that I could only testify to what was written. In the event that I discovered a problem in the documentation or a problem with the testing when reviewing for a case, I relayed that information to the state's attorney in question and did not typically testify in those cases.
The issues I observed were not a daily occurrence but I was concerned enough that I had to put the complaint into writing in January of 2010. The Health Department did not agree with my assessment.
Andy Bromage at Seven Days did a wonderful job of understanding the issue and presenting it fairly in his article. As always, if you have any questions please contact me.
~Darcy Richardson
Vermont Forensic Services is a company based in Milton, Vermont, focusing on quality and credible independent services.
Our primary focus is in providing expert testimony in cases in which toxicology plays a part. These include DUI and DUID cases, overdose, medical malpractice, dram shop and any other case which may include alcohol or drugs as a factor. In the past this has included sexual assault and aggravated assault cases.
"Forensic Talks" (a play on Forensic Tox) is a blog for those involved in forensic work whether at the laboratory bench or arguing cases in court. The blog will be updated at least weekly with new items of interest.
In our latest post we discuss Casey Anthony and the CSI Effect. Check it out!
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