City Council votes for independent crime lab

HOUSTON — Houston City Council has voted to establish an independent forensic laboratory outside the control of Houston’s police department, the latest fallout from years of scandals involving the city’s crime lab.
Critics have long complained that crime labs run by police departments create inherent conflicts of interest. The city council vote creates a non-profit corporation – run by a nine-member board confirmed by city council—that will oversee the city’s crime lab.