House unanimously passes bill addressing Colorado Bureau of Investigations DNA analyst scandal

The House unanimously passed bipartisan legislation Wednesday in response to a scandal involving a former Colorado Bureau of Investigation DNA analyst. House Bill 25-1275, which passed by a vote of 65-0, would establish procedures for reporting misconduct in Colorado crime laboratories.

In January, former CBI DNA analyst Missy Woods was charged with over 100 cases of forgery, purgery, attempting to influence a public servant and cybercrime. According to the CBI, Woods mishandled and manipulated data in DNA testing in over 800 cases dating back to 2014. Lawmakers said her actions contributed to the 558-day wait to receive results for a sexual assault kit.

A Colorado man convicted of murder over a decade ago was recently released from prison when DNA evidence, originally handled by Woods, was retested. The results cast doubt on his conviction, which was vacated Friday.

"The CBI scandal has had devastating consequences for survivors of sexual violence, and it is crucial that we do everything we can to prevent this situation from ever happening again," said Rep. Yara Zokaie, a Democrat who represents Colorado's 52nd district. "This bipartisan solution will inform defendants if evidence in their case was implicated in the scandal, and gives them the opportunity to fight for the truth through post-conviction relief. With this bill passing today, we're one step closer to a criminal justice system that is transparent and just." 

The bill was sponsored by Zokaie and Republican Rep. Matt Soper, who represents Colorado's 54th district. It would create a process to address wrongful misconduct by crime laboratory workers, including:

• Requiring crime laboratory employees who witness or discover misconduct to notify their supervisor or crime lab director within 14 days.
• Requiring defendants and victims to be notified if there was lab misconduct in their case.
• Giving defendants the right to return to court to challenge their conviction if CBI misconduct interfered with substantial evidence in obtaining their conviction.

The bill would also require all crime laboratory directors to review all records and identify wrongful actions committed by current or former employees before July 1, 2025.

Authorities said the bill is "a direct response to misconduct by CBI crime laboratory workers and will help uphold the integrity of Colorado's forensic system."