Report: NY criminal cases to be reopened after misconduct is found at state police lab

NY cases being reopened over police lab misconduct

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York officials say prosecutors across the state will have to review closed criminal cases because a now-dead forensic scientist routinely failed to perform mandatory tests and then fraudulently wrote up results.

New York state Inspector General Joseph Fisch says in a report released Thursday that the misconduct by Garry Veeder went undetected for years because of “shoddy” supervision. Veeder worked at the Forensic Investigation Center.

The office says 44 district attorneys will have to review criminal cases that included findings by Veeder. The exact number of cases isn’t clear.

Veeder committed suicide in May 2008 during the inquiry.

State police say the violations are alarming and the agency will hire an outside expert to audit the lab.