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Commission finds misconduct in DPS lab records; recommends suspension and two‑year bar on license reinstatement
Summary
The commission adopted an investigative report finding that a DPS Westregion analyst fabricated a random‑sampling form used in seized‑drug testing; staff recommended, and the commission approved, suspension of the analyst’s license until its June 2025 expiration and a two‑year bar on reinstatement.
The Texas Forensic Science Commission adopted an investigative report on Jan. 31 finding that an analyst at a Texas Department of Public Safety laboratory fabricated a random‑number generator form used to select items for testing in a seized‑drug submission.
According to the report presented to the commission, the lab received 400 seized items and the analyst intended to test a random sample of five units. By policy the analyst was required to retain the random‑number generator form in the case file. The analyst later could not locate the original form and — according to the report — prepared a replacement form that matched the five items the analyst had already tested and presented it as the original.
A technical reviewer noticed a discrepancy: the initial form submitted for technical review showed a total of 275 units (a different exhibit), and other numbered entries on the form were inconsistent with a form that had been created for a 400‑unit exhibit. After further review the lab concluded the submitted replacement form could not be confirmed as original and staff concluded the analyst intentionally manipulated entries and presented the form as the original.
The investigative report concluded the conduct constituted fabrication of a case document and a deviation from professional standards. The report recommended disciplinary action: suspend the analyst’s license through its June 2025 expiration and bar any attempt to reinstate the license for two years (until June 2027). The commission voted to adopt the draft investigative report, subject to non‑substantive staff revisions.
Why it matters: Accurate records and transparent reporting underpin the chain of custody and the integrity of forensic casework. The report and the commission’s action emphasize that mistakes should be reported and corrected, while fabrication of official records is a serious violation with direct disciplinary consequences.
Commission commentary: Commission staff praised the West region DPS laboratory’s diligence in detecting and reporting the issue and stressed that the lab’s quality system and technical review were the mechanisms that uncovered the discrepancy. The commission noted no accreditation‑level recommendations were made because the commission characterized the event as isolated and the lab as cooperative in its handling and reporting.
