Mon, Jul 24th, 2023 - 10:41am
January 13, 2023 - 6:17am | By Kyle Cornell
(Bismarck, ND) -- Lawmakers are considering giving North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley more authority over the state crime lab.
A proposed bill would eliminate language that requires the lab to operate separately from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Wrigley asked a committee Thursday to allow his office more control over what gets prioritized at the lab.
Many defense attorneys and advocates for abused individuals say a lack of independence for the lab would mean results could be swayed by workplace bias or pressure from law enforcement and prosecutors.