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Monday, July 2, 2012

THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE FORENSIC SCIENCE DIVISION GETS TIRED OF NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS: SO THEY CHANGE THEIR POLICY

By Michael Nichols
Categories: Michael J. Nichols

The Michigan State Police announced that it is changing its protocol for estimating the uncertainty of its analysis for blood alcohol. "They simply had to make a change in their uncertainty protocol," says Michigan OWI attorney Mike Nichols. Nichols, author of the West OWI Handbook for Michigan lawyers and adjunct professor at Thomas M Cooley Law School in Lansing adds: "the old protocol was developed by Fred House and Michelle Glinn, PhD, 2 people who are no longer with the Michigan State Police. All they did was adopt a suggested spreadsheet from the Society of Forensic Toxicology conference on uncertainty. It did not take into consideration the individual environment and method at the lab in Lansing.

A copy of the current protocol is attached.

The lab was required to have an uncertainty protocol in place by July 1st, 2012 by its accrediting agency, the American Society of Crime Lab Directors Laboratory Accreditation Body. Nichols, an associate member of the American Academy of Forensic Science adds: "they clearly are not going to be in compliance with ASCLAD-LAB. It will be interesting to see what ASCLAD-LAB does in response."

For the lawyers who are ahead of the curve of forensic science issues, call the Nichols Law firm at 517.432.9000.

• Measurements of Uncertainty - annotated (1.04 MB)