On Wednesday, Attorney General Roy Cooper took some bigs steps forward with the SBI crime lab: he named a respected and retired appeals court judge as interim director, and made brief remarks to the committee heading up the national search for a new lab director.
So, where is old lab director?
Jerry Richardson, who was lab director since 2002, has a new role: "he will work directly with the Case Records Management System and Criminal Information and ID sections," according to an email from the Department of Justice.
The status of several other agents has not changed. Duane Deaver remains on investigative placement, meaning he's suspended with pay. Deaver's work was criticized in the recent independent audit of the lab. His work in bloodstain pattern analysis is also under investigation. SBI Director Greg McLeod said Wednesday that Deaver's 30 day suspension may be extended so the internal investigation into his work can be thorough and complete.
Mark Isley, the agent at the center of the Floyd Brown case, remains the chief agent on the state's Medicaid Fraud unit.
Joe Neff came to The N&O in 1992 and has covered prisons, police, courts and the legislature. His most recent major work was "Prognosis: Profits" a five-part series about the clout and profitability of North Carolina's non-profit hospital industry. He can be reached at
Comments
But don't forget the former SBI Director who is now............
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 16:51 — TiminRDUDon't forget to mention another SBI employee who has been moved and remains on NC payroll: Back in August, the former SBI Director, Robin Pendergraft is now the senior deputy attorney general of the "newly expanded" Medicaid fraud unit. I believe an N&O article quoted that AG Roy Cooper was even considering giving Ms. Pendergraft a pay raise. Go figure! Just keep them on the payroll endlessly -- What a poor example this sets for the remaining hard-working NC state employees or think about this, go beyond the State of North Carolina, how does this appear to other federal or state law enforcement agencies looking in from the outside.
What do you need to do
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 12:41 — pauld315to get fired as an employee of this state ?