Senate OKs SBI and crime lab overhaul; bill nears final approval

The state Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill to reform the State Bureau of Investigation and its crime lab, which have been under intense scrutiny for the past year.

The bill, which will return to the House for final approval, would create a forensic science board to advise the lab, which will be renamed to drop "State Bureau of Investigation" from its name to emphasize that the lab works for all citizens, not just law enforcement.

The bill would require that all lab analysts be certified and that the lab be accredited under the highest international standards. Police or analysts who fail to produce records could be prosecuted for felony obstruction of justice.

An SBI agent's failure to report crucial blood test results helped lead to the exoneration of Greg Taylor, a Wake County man who served 17 years for a murder he didn't commit. The News & Observer in August reported on agents who bullied vulnerable suspects and on lab analysts who presented evidence in a way to help prosecutors.

An audit by former FBI officials, commissioned by Attorney General Roy Cooper, called into question blood evidence in the 229 cases. On Tuesday, the SBI announced it had identified an additional 74 cases.