The University of Illinois Chicago Analytical Forensic Testing Laboratory is accused of providing flawed test results in cases of driving under the influence of cannabis, WLS reports. Many of those tests resulted in motorists convicted of DUI and sent to jail.
In emails and internal communications, workers at the lab acknowledged testing problems last March but didn’t inform police or prosecutors of possible flawed results until May, the report says. However, Don Ramsell, a criminal defense attorney for an individual whose conviction was based in part on the lab’s results, told WLS that the lab knew about the testing flaws as far back as 2021 but covered it up.
“Their accrediting agency decided to audit the lab and then began to find a series of… nonconformance or failure to follow scientific standards, which has now put about 1,600 cannabis DUI cases that they tested in jeopardy.” — Ramsell to WLS
Ramsell added that the lab has also provided misleading testimony in court.
The lab is no longer providing the tests for law enforcement cases. In a statement, the university said it “is aware of concerns raised regarding the testing of certain biological samples previously conducted at one of its laboratories.”
“The university is conducting an investigation to examine the matter thoroughly. As this is an ongoing process, we are unable to provide additional details at this time,” the statement says. “UIC remains committed to upholding the highest standards of laboratory research integrity and compliance and to ensuring the well-being of the communities we serve.”
Defense attorneys are examining cases to determine how many cases may have been affected by the flawed results.
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