“Our reliance on DNA evidence is absolute in cases of sexual violence, but unfortunately, we face significant delays due to the limited capacity of the State Crime Lab,” said Williams. “New Orleans, like many jurisdictions, depends on the State Lab to process forensic evidence, but it is responsible for serving parishes all across Louisiana. This creates bottlenecks, especially in time-sensitive cases like sexual assaults.” To address this issue, DA Williams issued a call to action for parish leadership and criminal justice partners to double down on their support of setting up a fully accredited and fully equipped crime lab in New Orleans by 2025. “New Orleans has to establish an accredited local Crime Lab so that we can process our evidence without depending on an already overburdened, backlogged state system,” he said. “With a local Crime Lab, we can expedite justice for survivors, prevent future abuse, and ensure that predators like David Harris are caught and convicted before they have a chance to harm anyone else.” |