NY Judge Rejects DA's Bid For Crime Lab Prosecutor
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A district attorney on Long Island said she will ask New York's governor to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate a troubled local police department crime lab after a judge rejected concerns that potential conflicts may arise from her probe of an agency also involved in law enforcement.
Nassau officials closed the crime lab last week amid revelations that examiners were producing inaccurate measurements in drug cases. A probe also found that police supervisors were aware of problems months before a national accrediting agency placed the lab on probation in December.
Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, who unsuccessfully ran for state attorney general in 2010, announced earlier this week that she was appointing a fellow losing rival for the post, Eric Dinallo, to investigate the lab troubles, pending approval by the court.
State Supreme Court Justice William Donnino rejected Rice's request Thursday.
Defense attorneys have filed motions in more than a dozen cases questioning whether their clients received fair treatment, and Rice has conceded some convictions could be overturned.
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