The Commonwealth Attorney that is prosecuting Louisville cases would like help on an expert witness around the Sorensen contamination issue and DNA results.
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Robyn let Paige know that they needed assistance for the Commonwealth Attorney that is prosecuting Louisville cases would like help on an expert witness around the Sorensen contamination issue and DNA results. In addition to recommendations for the contamination, they are having a Sorenson analyst to testify; however, the original case analyst is not with Sorenson anymore so they are sending a different analyst. So, they want to be sure that the testimony is admissible.
Paige to reach out for a combo TA approach with Amy Jeanguenat and AEquitas.
Kristi Grey (Commonwealth Attorney), Robyn, Paige, Amy Jeanguenat, and Patti Powers met to discuss what they needed to do to shore up their prosecution of two cases for Jefferson Co.
We had a good call with Patti Powers and AmyJ on dealing with the Sorensen contamination and prosecution. KY SAKI is dealing with this for many cases they would like to prosecute. Currently, per AEquitas, there isn’t widely available precedent to guarantee that Motion in Limine (sp?) will work to establish that the results they are presenting were not impacted by the contamination issue. The Defense Attorneys in KY are working to use the contamination broadly, and they have many Judges that could make them pay to have Sorensen come for every case.
AmyJ said that prior to SAKI, DC had a case like this that she believes was successfully prosecuted. We need to connect them with the prosecutor for DC SAKI.
Secondly, in conversations they have had with Sorensen, all they have done is provided them with quotes for them to pay to have people come to testify. AmyJ said that they had created a packet of information for one of the jurisdictions that dealt with this. She wasn’t sure if it was for DC or not, but it might have been. KY is going to be asking Sorensen for this packet. If they say they don’t have one, AmyJ said we might need to have BJA discuss this.
Paige sent a journal article that helped explain how contamination in DNA laboratories happens, so it is an explanation that can be used for courts.
Paige sent the contact information for DC SAKI so they could hear from another site about how they moved forward with having an issue with Sorensen contamination.
Kristi Grey with Jefferson Co Commonwealth Attorney confirmed receipt.
AEquitas sent a copy of the Williams v Illinois brief s well as a response brief for a similar issue involving a medical examiner. In addition, they have contacted Kara Stefanson of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, who is a former ISP biology/DNA supervisor and part of the Forensic Science Unit for the CCSAO. Kara assisted with the Williams case when it was being litigated and is happy to discuss these issues.
When Kristi is available, AEquitas will organize a call with Cook Co and Kristi.
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