AUSTIN, Texas — The City of Austin's forensic science department is addressing concerns about its disclosure of information in criminal cases.
The KVUE Defenders first reported about the issue in August after obtaining a memo by First Assistant District Attorney Trudy Strassburger to Dana Kadavy, the agency's director.
In the memo, the Travis County District Attorney's Office said that the Austin Forensics Science Department had not fulfilled its legal duty to surrender key information in ongoing criminal cases.
The interest in the local criminal justice system remains high after the aftermath of what happened in 2016 when issues led to the overturning of two convictions and the still ongoing litigation of several others.
In this new letter, the forensics department director said officials will update policies created in 2020 about when and how to release case information to prosecutors as required by law. Director Dana Kadavy said that the policy update will be done jointly with the DA's office.
Kadavy also wrote that the department staff will receive training as soon as it's available from the DA's office about case disclosures to prosecutors. But Kadavy rejected claims from the DA's office in a previous letter that it had waited 10 months to inform them about allegations involving lab management and staff.
"The Forensic Science Department values its relationship with the Travis County District Attorney's Office and is committed to continuing its efforts to facilitate effective collaboration between our respective offices," Kadavy wrote.
The forensics department was previously overseen by the Austin Police Department, but that changed several years ago, leaving it as a standalone department.