Waste of the Day: Colorado DNA Tester Didn’t Follow Procedures

Topline: Disgraced forensic analyst Yvonne Woods earned $633,724 in salary from the Colorado Department of Public Safety during the last six years of her employment, according to payroll data obtained by OpenTheBooks, as part of a debacle that could cost taxpayers far more.

Key facts: Woods, a former DNA scientist at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, retired in November after an internal affairs investigation was opened. Investigators allege she intentionally cut corners and ignored testing protocols, meaning evidence presented in 652 criminal trials between 2008 and 2023 may have been incorrect.

Investigators charge that Woods “deleted and altered data to conceal her tampering with controls, deleted data that showed she failed to troubleshoot issues within the testing process and that she did not provide thorough documentation of certain tests performed in case records,” according to the Associated Press.

Woods worked in the DNA lab for 29 years. She had been earning a six-figure salary from taxpayers since at least 2017 and earned a raise every year since 2019. She made $113,184 in 2023.

A large portion of Woods’ earnings came from overtime. CBS News Colorado reports that she earned over $500,000 between 2007 and 2023.

Woods will also cost taxpayers an untold amount in legal fees from convicts who now plan to retry their cases in court. Prosecutors have already requested $1 million from the state’s general fund, but more legal expenses are likely on the way, according to CBS News Colorado.

The forensic lab also expects to spend $7.5 million retesting evidence.

Perhaps the extra work will result in overtime for the state’s 131 other criminal investigators who made six figures last year, per OpenTheBooks. Woods was among the top 50 percent in earnings, and the highest-paid made over $140,000.

Search all federal, state and local government salaries and vendor spending with the AI search bot, Benjamin, at OpenTheBooks.com.

Critical quote: “This conduct is outrageous,” Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty told CBS News. “Your viewers should be incredibly concerned when they hear that the state lab had issues with integrity, misconduct, falsifying data and tampering with results, and the dollar amount on top of it is incredibly concerning.”

Supporting quote: While Woods admitted to deviating from DNA testing protocol, her attorney Ryan Brackley told the Associated Press, “She’s never created or falsely reported any inculpatory DNA matches or exclusions, nor has she testified falsely in any hearing or trial resulting in a false conviction or unjust imprisonment.”

Summary: With the integrity of our court system at stake, taxpayers should only be funding salaries for criminal investigators of the utmost skill.

The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com.

This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations and made available via RealClearWire.