Seized-drug analysis
Identification and quantitation of controlled substances.
- GC-MS and other instrumental data
- Reference standards and library matches
- Weight, sampling, and purity claims
For public defenders & defense counsel
The lab report is a witness. Cross-examine it.
Independent scientific review of the forensic laboratory evidence in your case: seized-drug chemistry, toxicology, blood alcohol, DNA and biological evidence, and the crime lab’s own quality records. Plain-English findings you can use in motions, at hearings, and on cross.
Retained by and working under the direction of counsel. We are scientific consultants, not lawyers, and we don’t give legal advice.
Exhibit — Lab packet reviewAnnotated
- Calibration & controlsCheck
- Method validation on fileRequest
- Chain of custody gapsFlag
- Proficiency & corrective actionsRequest
Why it matters
Juries tend to treat lab results as settled fact. Often they aren’t.
The report is a summary
A one-page certificate of analysis sits on top of chromatograms, calibration data, controls, and analyst notes. The questions are in that underlying data.
Labs are audited systems
Accredited labs work to written quality standards. Deviations, failed controls, and corrective actions leave a paper trail that counsel can request.
Your caseload doesn’t allow it
Reading raw instrument data is a specialist job. We do that work and hand you findings you can act on.
A reported result is only as strong as the record behind it. That record is what we read.
What we review
Chemistry, toxicology, DNA, and the lab behind them.
We audit evidence produced in chemistry and biology labs, and the laboratory quality system behind it. If a question falls outside that expertise, we’ll tell you so and won’t stretch to answer it.
DNA & biological evidence
Touch DNA and STR profiles, from collection to the reported result.
- STR electropherograms and peak calls
- Touch DNA and low-level samples
- Biological data lineage and contamination controls
Toxicology & blood alcohol
Impaired-driving and toxicology results, from blood draw to reported number.
- Headspace GC and calibration curves
- Controls, blanks, and batch acceptance
- Measurement uncertainty
Lab quality records
The laboratory’s own compliance file, read by an auditor.
- Quality standards: ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 15189, and ISO 42001
- Proficiency testing history
- Nonconformances and corrective actions
Method validation
Whether the method was shown to work for this matrix, at this range.
- Validation reports and SOP versions
- Limits of detection and quantitation
- Deviations from the written method
Chain of custody & handling
How the sample moved, and how it was stored and tracked.
- Transfer records and seal integrity
- Storage conditions and timing
- Sample identification consistency
Technical discovery support
A precise list of the scientific records to request, so counsel’s discovery asks for the right things.
- Lab packet and raw data files
- Instrument maintenance and logs
- Analyst training and qualification records
How it works
The Paper & Technical Audit, in two stages.
Stage one tells you whether the science is worth contesting. Stage two builds the challenge, and you only fund it if stage one finds something.
Case screen
A short call about the charge, the evidence type, what you already have in discovery, and your next court date.
- You get
- A straight answer on fit, plus a written scope and estimate for your funding request.
Paper Audit
We review the lab packet and discovery against the method, the lab’s own SOPs, and its quality standard.
- You get
- A findings memo to counsel: issues ranked by significance, and the records still missing.
- Scope
- Fixed and agreed in advance.
Technical Audit
An in-depth review of raw instrument data, validation files, and quality records obtained through follow-up discovery.
- You get
- A detailed technical report, cross-examination and hearing prep for counsel, and testimony if retained and qualified by the court.
Appointed-case funding
Your client can’t pay. That isn’t the end of it.
Indigent defendants have a recognized right to expert assistance when it’s needed for an adequate defense. We provide the documentation your request needs, so getting expert services approved doesn’t add to your workload.
Screen the case
A short call to decide whether the scientific evidence is worth contesting.
We send your funding packet
Written scope, cost estimate, and CV, formatted for your office’s expert-services request or motion.
Approval, then engagement
Once funding is authorized, we sign an engagement letter with counsel and work under your direction.
Billed to the approved budget
We invoice against the authorized amount. If the scope needs to grow, we tell you before any work beyond it begins.
General information only, not legal advice. Counsel decides whether, when, and how to seek expert funding in a given jurisdiction.
Who does the review
Led by Tanisha Tejada Thoreau, M.S.
A crime lab answers to the same quality standards as any accredited lab. Its records show whether it met them.
20+ Years Analytical & Quality Leadership. Former Laboratory Director, Technical Laboratory Director, and Quality Assurance Director; Analytical Chemist and Operation Warp Speed SME, with extensive laboratory method validation and software data lineage experience.
- Dual Academic Foundations in Biological & Chemical SciencesB.S. in Biochemistry and B.S. in Molecular Biology, providing deep theoretical and practical authority over Touch DNA/STR electropherograms, biological data lineage, and mass spectrometry toxicology. Also holds an A.S. in Nursing.
- Hands-On Instrument & Laboratory Execution20+ years of direct bench experience operating and maintaining analytical instrumentation, starting up laboratory facilities, and developing and validating complex analytical methods.
- Comprehensive Regulatory & Quality AuditingExperienced auditor evaluating data integrity and quality systems against international standards (ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 15189, and ISO 42001) alongside strict state, federal, and local regulatory requirements (including 21 CFR Part 11 and CLIA/CAP).
- Advanced Legal & Quality CredentialsM.S. in Biotechnology and M.S. in Analytical Chemistry; J.D. Candidate specializing in Healthcare Law and Biotechnology Regulation; Certified ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 15189, and ISO 42001 Lead Auditor.
Professional boundaries
Clear lines protect your case.
What we do
- Work only when retained by counsel, and under counsel’s direction
- Give scientific analysis and opinion within our expertise
- Report findings to the attorney, not to the defendant or family
- Keep case materials confidential and handle them as counsel instructs
- Run a conflict check before every engagement
What we don’t do
- Give legal advice or legal strategy
- Represent, advise, or contact defendants directly
- Draft or file pleadings on anyone’s behalf
- Offer opinions outside our scientific expertise
- Promise outcomes. We report what the data shows
Request a case screen
Tell us the evidence type and your next court date.
We’ll reply to confirm fit and set up a short screening call.
Don’t send case files through this form. Share no privileged or identifying client information until a conflict check is done and an engagement is in place. We’ll arrange a secure way to transfer documents.