A year ago, the LA City Auditor reported that the backlog of DNA samples waiting to be tested by the Los Angeles Police Department had grown to nearly 7,000 with hundreds languishing beyond the legal deadlines.
This year, the LAPD says it reduced that backlog by nearly two-thirds, but they still have "a long way to go," according to the city controller.
In the meantime, accused rapists have escaped prosecution. Victims have lost their chance for justice. What's been the cost of this backlog?
This story will ask and try to answer the following questions
I trained in multi-media journalism and investigative reporting (specifically focused on the criminal justice system) at West Virginia University. My thesis project, Where Doubt Remains, was a finalist in the 2007 IRE Awards.
I expect this story will take several different forms, one being a more traditional text-based report and the other possibly being an audio report. I expect this story will take several months -- most of which will be used to review court files and collect public documents.
