Many people here in New York and the Northeast — and, really, all across the country — know about Annie Dookhan and the criminal justice scandal that took place as a result of her actions. Dookhan was a lab technician at a facility that tested drug evidence for criminal cases. But Dookhan had a sinister plot while she was performing her job: she didn’t test many pieces of evidence, instead passing on reports that she had while making it seem like the evidence was indeed tested.
In the end, Dookhan was caught and she was sentenced to jail. But the ramifications of her actions are still being felt to this day.
For example, there are nearly 25,000 people who are waiting to hear if their cases are going to be reviewed or outright overturned as a result of Dookhan handling them.
But even more than that, Dookhan’s illegal and atrocious handling of thousands of criminal cases has raised the possibility of misconduct all around the country when it comes to handling evidence in criminal cases. How many cases have been affected outside of Dookhan’s influence. How many times was someone convicted due to inadequate or tainted evidence without anyone ever knowing about it?
These are fair questions. They always have been, but they are especially pertinent in the wake of the Dookhan case. People who are accused of a crime now, more than ever, have to wonder if the evidence in there case is being handled appropriately and that the chain of custody over the evidence in their case is being followed.
Source: Slate, “Massachusetts’ Drug Problem,” Mark Joseph Stern, Sept. 30, 2016