More Reports of Criminal Behavior Call into Question the Integrity of Pennsylvania DUI Crime Labs
A forensics technician and phlebotomist in a Pennsylvania DUI crime lab has admitted to stealing from DUI suspects:
Lab Tech Accused Of Stealing Money From Suspects, Detective
State Police: Woman Admitted To Taking More Than $800
BERKS COUNTY, Pa. — A lab technician at the Berks County DUI center is accused of taking cash from two DUI suspects and a county detective. Kimberly Kay Bennethum-Heffner, 31, of Newmanstown, admitted to taking $840 from the three men, state police said. The thefts happened in July and August. She was a phlebotomist at the center.
These lab technicians are entrusted to perform a very important task. Dishonesty like this calls into question the integrity of their work and the evidence produced. The problems with crime labs have been well documented on this blog and are widespread through out the nation’s crime labs:
- Unqualified staff with no scientific background
- Lack of criminal background checks
- Overworked staff
- Lack of supervision and oversight
This is why the National Academy of Sciences called for an overhaul of the entire system calling it “badly fragmented”.
If you are facing a Pennsylvania DUI charge with faulty forensic evidence please call The McShane Firm at 1-866-MCSHANE
Justin McShane
PA DUI attorney Justin J. McShane is the President/CEO of The McShane Firm, LLC - Pennsylvania's top criminal law and DUI law firm. He is the highest rated DUI attorney in PA as rated by Avvo.com. Justin McShane is a double Board certified attorney. He is the first and so far the only Pennsylvania attorney to achieve American Bar Association recognized board certification in DUI defense from the National College for DUI Defense, Inc. He is also a Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Approved Agency.