BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – In Bexar County, Texas, the Crime Lab is facing a significant challenge – a backlog of evidence that has been untouched and uninspected for over a year.

As the director of the Bexar County Crime Lab, Orin Dym, noted, the lab is inundated with hundreds of cases each month. The current backlog consists of more than 4,500 drug, gun, and DNA cases waiting to be analyzed, some dating as far back as June 2023.

The backlog raises concerns about the impact on individuals navigating the justice system. Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai emphasized the importance of addressing delays to ensure that justice is served.

To tackle the backlog, county officials have allocated resources to hire additional lab personnel and authorize overtime work. The goal is to eliminate any cases from 2023 by early 2025.

While progress has been made, the majority of the backlog now consists of drug-related cases, with a notable increase in marijuana-related submissions.

Sakai expressed his commitment to supporting the lab in reducing the backlog to uphold the integrity of each case processed.