NC Governor Signs Crime Lab Bill Into Law

AP: The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation lab is changing its name and purpose in legislation signed by Gov. Beverly Perdue. The law also makes clear it's a crime for lab workers to withhold results. Perdue's office confirmed Friday she signed the bill into law late Thursday. The measure resulted largely from a scandal started with the exoneration of a man convicted of murder. Then former FBI officials reviewing the lab's blood unit identified more than 200 cases improperly handled by lab workers during a 16-year period ending in 2003. The law changes the lab's name to the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory and makes clear the lab serves the public and the justice system, not just prosecutors. The legislation also creates a panel of scientists to review lab practices.