As if it wasn’t bad enough that Annie Dookhan allegedly faked evidence, the motivations and attitudes underlying her actions are even scarier. The thirty-five year old former state chemist, once described as a “Superwoman” of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, was indicted on 27 charges relating to fabrication of drug evidence. Among other things, the allegations suggest Dookhan, whose job it was to test drug evidence for ongoing criminal cases, would mark “positive” samples she failed to test, and even mix samples to ensure that previously drug-free evidence would subsequently test positive. [Read more…]
First Civil Suit Filed as Former Lab Chemist Dookhan Pleads Not Guilty
Former Massachusetts crime lab chemist Annie Dookhan entered a plea of not guilty last week in response to charges that she tampered with drug evidence and faked test results. Her case has been in the headlines for several months as the state comes to grips with just how far-reaching her mistakes could be. One man, who had cocaine distribution charges against him dropped in light of Dookhan’s mess, is now the first to file a lawsuit against her, though not likely the last. [Read more…]
More Crime Lab Evidence Tampering
The Massachusetts criminal justice system continues to take a beating. With the continuing scandal still brewing over Annie Dookhan, another state lab worker is arrested – Sonja Farak, a chemist in the Amherst crime lab. She allegedly replaced evidence that tested positive as heroin and cocaine with counterfeit substances while taking the actual drugs for personal use. [Read more…]
