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Bill to require CBI employees to report wrongful actions heads to Colorado governor
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Approved, denvergazette.com, State

Bill to require CBI employees to report wrongful actions heads to Colorado governor

By Marianne Goodland | Denver Gazette Employees at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation who observe misconduct and don't report it could be in for problems of their own under a bill now heading to the governor's desk. House Bill 1275 creates "a duty to report" wrongful actions committed by crime lab employees. It also requires the crime lab director to investigate those actions, and creates a process for individuals to seek post-conviction relief if their case is impacted.  The bill is yet another outgrowth of the misconduct allegations tied to Yvonne Woods, a nearly 30-year employee of the CBI accused of deleting data and manipulating DNA evidence in more than 1,000 instances. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Colorado Bureau of Investigation launches public dashboard to track rape kit backlog
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Approved, DENVER7, State

Colorado Bureau of Investigation launches public dashboard to track rape kit backlog

By Óscar Contreras | Denver 7 News The Colorado Bureau of Investigation announced Tuesday it would start publicly tracking its progress to address a rape kit backlog exacerbated by an investigation into one its former forensic scientists accused of mishandling DNA evidence. “We acknowledge it is taking us too long to complete DNA cases. We are committed to an aggressive plan to bring this turnaround time down to our goal of 90 days as quickly as possible,” said CBI Director Schaefer in a statement announcing the creating of the public dashboard. “We understand the importance of timely processing of sexual assault kits and the impact this backlog has on survivors.” READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER 7 NEWS
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Boulder Co. Sheriff’s Office stops using CBI for forensic casework; moves to Jefferson Co. lab
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Boulder Co. Sheriff’s Office stops using CBI for forensic casework; moves to Jefferson Co. lab

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 News The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Sunday afternoon that it will not be using the Colorado Bureau of Investigation crime labs for forensic casework moving forward. Instead, the county agency will transition the casework to the Jefferson County Regional Crime Lab. “This change is driven by our commitment to delivering the highest level of service to those affected by crime in our community,” a sheriff’s office spokesperson told FOX31 on Sunday. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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In response to CBI scandal, lawmakers seek mandatory reporting, investigation of misconduct
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State

In response to CBI scandal, lawmakers seek mandatory reporting, investigation of misconduct

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics As calls mounted for policymakers to address the DNA scandal swirling at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, legislators requested a state audit and introduced two bills, one of which seeks to require mandatory reporting and investigation of misconduct.   In a news conference on Thursday, lawmakers said that's one factor that was was lacking in the case involving a once-revered DNA scientist at the state lab.  House Bill 1275 is about transparency, said Reps. Matt Soper, R-Delta, and Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins, and Sen. Lisa Frizell, R-Castle Rock. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS
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CBI under fire for failing to notify defendants evidence used against them may have been falsified
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Approved, CBS Colorado, State

CBI under fire for failing to notify defendants evidence used against them may have been falsified

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is under the microscope. State lawmakers grilled CBI Director Chris Schaefer about the agency's handling of a scandal involving evidence in thousands of criminal cases. All of the cases were handled by now former DNA analyst Yvonne "Missy" Woods, who appeared in court on Thursday on 102 felony charges related to tampering with or falsifying evidence. The legislature allocated millions of dollars last year for CBI to retest DNA in the cases, but the agency is still sitting on most of that money. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Missy Woods, former CBI forensic scientist, booked into jail on 102 felony charges
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Approved, gazette.com, State

Missy Woods, former CBI forensic scientist, booked into jail on 102 felony charges

By Jenny Deam and Carol McKinley | The Gazette Former top Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist, Yvonne "Missy" Woods, turned herself into Jefferson County authorities on Wednesday and was booked into jail on a 102-count felony indictment, according to county sources and court documents. Woods, 64, was being held in Jefferson County Jail on a $50,000 cash only bond, according to a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. She is scheduled to make her first court appearance at 10 a.m. on Thursday. In the 35-page indictment, Woods — who goes by Missy — faces felony charges that include attempt to influence a public servant, perjury, forgery and cybercrime, according to court documents. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE GAZETTE
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CBI says more than 1,000 cases impacted by former forensic scientist who allegedly manipulated data
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Approved, Fox21, State

CBI says more than 1,000 cases impacted by former forensic scientist who allegedly manipulated data

By Heather Willard | Fox 21 After over a year of investigating, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said a comprehensive review of a former forensic scientist has been completed. In doing so, the agency found that about 1,003 cases were impacted in her nearly 30-year career. The agency previously announced that 652 cases between 2008 and 2023 were identified as being affected by the scientist’s data manipulation. On Nov. 6, 2023, CBI announced that Yvonne “Missy” Woods, a forensic scientist within the agency for about 29 years, was no longer working there and was subject to internal affairs and criminal investigations because of DNA anomalies in her work. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 21
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