Legal Eagle Review News

Detroit, Michigan - After a brief presentation by the People’s Task Force attorney, a Detroit City Council Executive Session voted unanimously to support the Task Force in their request for an independent Federal investigation of the Detroit Police Department Crime Laboratory.

The one-hour meeting centered on the Prosecutor’s request for financial backing to conduct her own investigation, but Council remained skeptical about the financial demands.

Task Force legal advisor Brian Zubel offered the Council the option of an independent Federal investigation that would cost the city nothing. The Task Force has advocated the independent investigation for a year. Council voted unanimously to request an independent Federal investigation.

“Other laboratories in the country have had scandals and they have called on the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General to investigate their labs,” says Zubel. “This service is paid for via our federal tax dollars through a pre-funded existing organization.” He added that the investigation would look at laboratory practices, cases, and recommend a way forward so that the lab could re-open. He commented that no other crime laboratory in the country has ever been closed down for errors.

The People’s Task Force was represented by more than 30 relatives and supporters of the wrongfully convicted. Individual members of the Task force spoke about their family members who had been wrongfully incarcerated. These testimonials made an obvious impact upon the members of the city council.

Lenora Tiggart, whose father has been imprisoned on falsified firearms testimony for more than twenty years, said, “I want everyone on this City Council tonight to go home and tell God that they did something for JUSTICE, even if it wasn't convenient for politics.”