Call for Change In Evidence Handling

It's not optional about who's life hangs in the balance based on whether or not there's enough space to handle the evidence. They find enough space to keep them in prison.
The Denver Post

Colorado lawmakers and criminal-justice advocates called Wednesday for law enforcement officials statewide to halt destruction of biological evidence in major felony cases while legislative leaders pursue new laws to protect crime-scene specimens.

"We've got to make sure we've got the right people in prison and that victims can get justice," said state Rep. Cheri Jahn, D-Wheat Ridge, who is crafting a bill to preserve DNA and other forensic samples in murders and rapes for decades and provide penalties for trashing it.

Added state Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver: "We just can't tolerate negligence in this area." Meanwhile, support for change is building in criminal- justice advocacy circles, including with medical providers who often assist in prosecutions. They favor strong protections for evidence, such as rape kits, that drifts into hospitals' hands.

"I think it's wise to develop a mechanism for saving it," said Valerie Sievers, the state's coordinator for training nurses in rape exams. "It's just another way to create a better opportunity for victims" to prosecute.

Said Christie Donner, head of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition: "It's shocking that something as vital to the administration of justice as evidence can be treated with such frivolity in some evidence rooms. It's not like it's an option not to preserve - like the decision to put cheese on a burger."