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DENVER, CO – Today, Representatives Matt Soper (R-Delta) and Yara Zokaie (D-Fort Collins), along with Senators Lisa Frizell (R-Castle Rock) and Mike Weissman (D-Aurora), highlighted a bipartisan bill to establish clear procedures for reporting misconduct in Colorado crime laboratories.
“Transparency is essential to public trust, and the people expect their government to be fully transparent—especially in times of malfeasance," said Rep. Matt Soper. “With the recent reports of tampering by a Colorado crime laboratory scientist, the onus is on us to present smart, remedial legislation. HB25-1275 will ensure prosecutors, defense attorneys, victims, and defendants are notified. If an individual was convicted based on evidence tainted by a state actor, their defense attorney must be informed so they can determine whether it impacted the case. This bill ensures accountability and safeguards to protect the integrity of our justice system," added Soper.
"Extreme misconduct by a former CBI employee is causing significant delays in our criminal justice system, preventing family members and survivors from receiving appropriate closure,” said Rep. Yara Zokaie. “I’m sponsoring this bipartisan legislation to establish a clear process for addressing intentional misconduct by CBI crime laboratory workers. By establishing reporting requirements and victim notification procedures, Colorado will have clear guidelines for dealing with CBI employee misconduct while ensuring survivors can receive the justice they rightfully deserve.”
“To restore public trust, it is imperative that we establish a transparent and accountable process when reporting on misconduct in our state’s laboratories,” said Senator Frizell. “This legislation establishes a clear, transparent process to address breaches of forensic integrity, ensuring that all affected parties- prosecutors, defense attorneys, victims, and defendants- are properly informed. Justice can only be upheld when we hold bad actors accountable and implement safeguards to prevent future misconduct, and this bill is a crucial step in that effort.”
“Crime survivors want investigatory processes related to their seeking justice to complete quickly and accurately,” said Sen. Weissman. “But recent misconduct in crime laboratory settings delays justice, prolongs uncertainty, and further traumatizes survivors who have already suffered unspeakable victimization. Colorado needs to have better procedures in place to effectively address cases of intentional misconduct if and when they arise, repair trust in CBI, and support survivors in their pursuit of justice – this bipartisan bill does all three.”
Earlier this year, a former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist was charged with manipulating and mishandling data in the DNA testing process of more than 800 criminal cases dating back as far back as 2014. HB25-1275 is a direct response to misconduct by CBI crime laboratory workers and will help uphold the integrity of Colorado’s forensic system.
This legislation would establish a clear process within the CBI and the court system to address intentional and wrongful misconduct by crime laboratory workers. Specifically, the bill requires crime laboratory employees who witness or discover misconduct or a wrongful action to notify their supervisor or the crime laboratory director within 14 days. This bill would require both defendants and victims to be notified if there was lab misconduct in their case. Additionally, this bill would give the defendant the right to return to court to challenge their conviction if the CBI misconduct interfered with substantial evidence in obtaining their conviction.
Lastly, this bill mandates all crime laboratory directors to review all records to identify wrongful actions committed by current or former employees before July 1, 2025.
By instituting clear reporting responsibilities and safeguards, HB25-1275 will help ensure fairness in the justice system and establish policies and procedures for addressing future CBI employee misconduct.