As used in this article, the term: “Board” means the Board of Public Safety. “Crime lab” or “state crime lab” means the Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “Director” means the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “Division” means the Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. […]
The Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation: Shall provide a state-wide system of laboratories dedicated to conducting forensic analysis of evidence submitted to the laboratory by law enforcement agencies, prosecuting attorneys, coroners, and medical examiners; Shall provide forensic services to the criminal justice system for the examination and analysis of evidence […]
Responsibility for the development, maintenance, and operations of the division shall be vested in the division director. The division director shall be appointed by the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The division director may, with the approval of the board, establish such advisory panels as may be necessary to assist the director to […]
Within the division there shall be an office of chief medical examiner. The chief medical examiner shall be appointed by the director. No person may be the chief medical examiner unless that person at the time of appointment is a pathologist certified in forensic pathology by the American Board of Pathology. It shall be the […]
The division shall: Establish written standards and procedures for the administration of forensic testing. The division shall retain a copy of any procedure adopted pursuant to this paragraph which is modified for a period of five years from the date of its being superseded by the modification; Adopt rules and regulations as required by law; […]
A copy of a report of the methods and findings of any examination or analysis conducted by an employee of the state crime laboratory or an employee of a laboratory with which the state crime laboratory has a contract for the provision of laboratory or scientific examination or analysis, authenticated under oath, is prima-facie evidence […]
Unless otherwise specifically provided by law, technical, scientific, and similar processes, procedures, guidelines, standards, and methods for the collection, preservation, or testing of evidence adopted by the division shall not be subject to the provisions of Chapter 13 of Title 50, the “Georgia Administrative Procedure Act.” History. Code 1981, § 35-3-155 , enacted by Ga. […]
