Blood samples from criminal investigations have been stacking up in freezers across the state after the only lab that had tested them for drugs ended its contract last month.
Harford County State?s Attorney Joseph Cassilly complained that he and his investigators have no way of determining if suspects had illegal drugs in their system at the time of their arrests, after a Chantilly, Va., lab operated by Quest Diagnostics ended its contract Sept. 30.
“Right now, we?re taking all these blood samples and putting them in fridges,” Cassilly said. “If someone runs over a bunch of kids at a bus stop, we have no way of telling if they were on drugs at the time.”
Blood tests are used because Maryland state law does not allow urine-based drug tests in criminal cases.
By the time drugs are detectable in a suspect?s urine, they have already passed through that suspect?s system, Cassilly said. So far, at least three of his cases of driving under the influence ? including a case in which two people died ? are awaiting tests with no lab to do them, he said.
Officials in Baltimore City could not cite any cases awaiting test results, but Deputy State?s Attorney Cynthia Jones said such tests were performed in only about 2 percent of her office?s cases, usually those involving a death.
Maryland State Police have only one case so far being held up by the lack of a drug-testing lab, spokeswoman Elena Russo said.
While state police can test blood samples for alcohol content, testing for drugs requires equipment and personnel not available locally, Russo said. For now, blood samples are being put into refrigeration, where they can remain preserved until a new lab is approved by the Office of the State Medical Examiner.
“There are fewer labs that can do blood testing than urine testing,” said Dr. Barry Levine, head toxicologist for the medical examiner?s office. Though his office is capable of conducting such tests for its own investigations, he could not say if it would fill in pending cases until a new lab can be approved.
A Quest spokeswoman confirmed the company had ended its contract with the state, but would not elaborate on why.
