The Houston Forensic Science Center â Houstonâs crime lab – is being overseen these days by an independent board, which hired Dr. Daniel Garner to run it. Garner formerly managed the forensics lab for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
On this edition of Houston Matters, we’ll talk with Dr. Garner and chairman Scott Hochberg about efforts to improve the Houston crime lab, where testing was once temporarily suspended following a critical audit of personnel, facilities, and processes.
Also: The nonprofit investigative journalism organization the Center for Public Integrity last month issued a report criticizing state Supreme Court justices in 42 states and the District of Columbia for failing to recuse themselves from cases in which they had a financial stake. Texas was one of the states to receive a failing grade from CPI in its report. Weâll learn more about the report, and loopholes it cites in Texas financial disclosure laws.
We’ll then turn our attention to cases currently before the Texas Supreme Court, involving matters ranging from arbitration awards to homeowner’s insurance to maritime law and negligence, to defamation. We’ll talk with the state high court’s staff attorney about these cases, and how the court operates.
Plus: a conversation with Aguinaldo Ferreira, head coach of the Houston Aces, our womenâs professional soccer team.
