ATLANTA —
The Georgia State Crime Lab has stopped providing handwriting comparison analysis for criminal cases because of an accrediting issue.
The handwriting analysis work has been stopped until the scientists in that unit pass an assessment required by a national accrediting agency, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported (http://bit.ly/OpyzJe ).
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation oversees the lab. The GBI has informed prosecutors and law enforcement agencies throughout the state that the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors determined that GBI scientists who do handwriting comparisons didn’t meet its requirements.
The scientists will undergo more training and retake the test, GBI Director Vernon Keenan said.
“The suspension will remain in effect until the quality measures are resolved,” Keenan said.
There are 180 cases pending in the handwriting analysis unit, GBI spokesman John Bankhead said.
No convictions or pending criminal cases are affected by the suspension of the service, Bankhead said. Private labs and the FBI are available to provide analysis, if needed.
Handwriting analysis is most often useful in forgery cases, authorities said.
Prosecutors say the technique has dwindled in importance for other types of crimes. There isn’t as much demand for the service in today’s electronic world as there was in the past, said John Neuner, accreditation program manager with the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors.
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Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com
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