Case Acceptance Policies and Guidelines

​A significant component of a crime laboratory’s management system is its preliminary evaluation of evidence to determine if it does or does not meet established criteria that govern the submission of evidence to the laboratory.  These policies, often known as case submission, case acceptance, or case management policies, help laboratories control demand for their services and prevent the accumulation of evidence awaiting testing.  In some jurisdictions, however, these policies can be controversial and even offensive to crime scene personnel, investigators, and trial attorneys who may disagree with their laboratory screens its evidence prior to submission.  This one-hour webinar, the fourth in ASCLD’s webinar series, Confronting Crime Laboratory Backlogs: Causes, Solutions, Expectations, will cover laboratory case management practices and the policies that are put into place to control the intake of evidence.