You may remember the former Massachusetts state crime lab chemist Annie Dookhan who I wrote about previously. To sum up Annie Dookhan career as a state crime lab chemist she submitted positive results for drug samples she neglected to test, forged co-workers’ signatures on her work, lied at trial under oath and even falsely claimed to have a master’s degree in chemistry, all in an attempt look like a highly productive employee.
As a result of all her lies, over 40,000 drug samples have fallen under scrutiny, making legal system question 40,000 verdicts. Over 300 convicted inmates have already been released and thousands more are expected.
Annie Dookhan, the drug analyst who tampered with evidence and jeopardized tens of thousands of criminal convictions, was sentenced Friday to three to five years in state prison, closing a sorrowful chapter for the woman at the center of a scandal that continues to plague the state’s criminal justice system.
The 36-year-old mother of a disabled child, whose marriage fell apart in the months after the scandal, softly pleaded guilty to 27 counts of misleading investigators, filing false reports, and tampering with evidence. She must also serve two years of probation and undergo mental health counseling, if needed.
Science is suppose to be the most credible source of evidence in the criminal justice system and the people behind it are held to a higher standard of ethics then the average citizen. Only 3-5 years is a major insult to the people who were punished, her lies led to people losing their freedom, children, families, and dignity. I can imagine Annie Dookhan is going to be quite popular in the prison system surrounded by people who are going to blame her for their incarceration.
source: Annie Dookhan pleads guilty in drug lab scandal