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Wait for DNA testing decreases slightly

By ASSOCIATED PRESS   Monday, February 25, 2008 - 9:18 a.m.
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MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The number of criminal cases waiting for DNA testing at the State Crime Lab is down slightly for the first time in five years.

The backlog for forensic scientists fell from 1,785 at the end of 2006 to 1,735 in 2007.

The Department of Justice says DNA analysts processed 1,900 cases last year compared with 1,100 in 2006.

An annual spike in January has pushed the backlog to 1,805 cases.

The lab processed 219 cases in January, an all-time record for any month.

The crime labs have struggled for years with a backlog of evidence waiting for DNA tests.

Thirty new analysts were hired last July and began training. But, the Crime Lab requires a one-year training period before an analyst can work individually on a case.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.




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