The national and state emphasis on public safety and crime prevention continues to drive the increase in case submissions. Increased caseload and accreditation requirements combine to produce large case backlogs in the DPS Crime Laboratory system. This backlog has steadily climbed, constricting the legal system’s ability to process cases in a timely manner. While effective management of overtime monies have helped slow and, in some cases, temporarily reduce backlog, these resources are not guaranted and analysts cannot continue working extra hors indefinitely. Criminal investigations are slowed, waiting for Forensic Scientists to provide information from their analyses. Indictment, trial, and conviction do not proceed without forensic results, in some instances jeopardizing defendants’ 6th Amendment rights. Scientists face continuous pressure from prosecutors who need results from backlogged cases waiting to be worked. This continuous pressure for results must be balanced with the need for the highest quality possible, leading to strain on the resources and analysts of the DPS Crime Lab.
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