Calif. Attorney General Honored For Rape Kit Processing

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The state attorney general's office is receiving national recognition for accelerating the testing of rape kits, using innovations that have been adopted by eight of California's 58 counties.

Attorney General Kamala Harris said Tuesday that her office's Rapid DNA Service Team will receive the U.S. Department of Justice's Award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services.

On Wednesday, an Assembly committee will consider using the attorney general's program as a model for use statewide.

The program automates DNA testing, tripling the number of cases that can be handled and reducing processing time to 15 days. It was used to eliminate a backlog of 1,300 rape cases in state-run laboratories.

The eight counties using the program do not include densely populated counties such as Los Angeles, many of which have backlog problems.