Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Our Lab is Your Lab (and my lab)


submit by troy m; comments by blogger jgl

Wait a minute... I saw Marg Helgenberger do this on CSI!

A Michigan State Police forensic scientist, who has worked on many high-profile cases, admitted using the state's crime lab to conduct her own DNA testing, transcripts of divorce hearings show.

Ann Gordon, who court documents refer to as Ann Chamberlain-Gordon, admitted to the attorney representing her former husband, Charles Gordon, that she used crime lab equipment in 2006 to test his underwear - finding evidence of another woman's DNA.

Anyone out there ever have an affair? How does a woman's DNA get on your underwear. I mean if you're... eh, nevermind.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that State Police Scientist, Ann Gordon, acted irresponsibly and unethical by using her work lab for personal business. Hey, it was pretty smart though, to look for DNA on her husband's underwear. But, if she used that workspace without supervisory permission, she should get a smack on the wrist. After all, How many of us use the internet, printer, fax, ect... for our own personal use while we're at work? Come on raise your hand, too!! A.H.

Anonymous said...

I think that though Ms. Gordon's husband is a creep (for sleeping around). Ms. Gordon's actions still constitute misuse of State resources, and therefore should be punished for doing so. I also believe that any "evidence" shouldn't be admissible due to the inherit bias of its tester and collector. D.B.

Anonymous said...

Well this is quite interesting...I wish I had an on hand crime lab to test my boyfriends clothes. LOL!! Although she acted irresponsibly, I don't think there is one female in the world that could say they would not have done the same thing if they new they wouldn't get caught. Some of us ladies are just a little too nosey/sneaky to pass up a opportunity like that. Oh and a man can easily get a females DNA on him if he: has little too much foreplay,or he's just plain old nasty!! However, wrong is wrong even though the idea rocks, I think she can get a slap on the wrist and move on. Give the woman a break she's already getting divorced from a man that was sleeping around on her.EW

Anonymous said...

I find this incredibly amusing. The whole thing just sounds like something from a soap opera. Of course, I feel bad for Ms. Gordon because her husband cheated on her. However, I don't think that justifies personal use of work equipment and supplies.

I don't think the DNA on the underwear can be used as evidence, though, since she wasn't supposed to be testing it in the first place, and she would be biased.

I think it was a very smart idea, but I don't think it was the right thing to do. Oh, well. At least she caught her husband and is divorcing him!

AF

UAB MSFS Program said...

it sounds like we're most in agreement she was wrong. Although workers often use work equipment for personal reasons, this was a little excessive and expensive. She could have just hired a private lab to do the testing if she really wanted to invest in finding an answer.

I'm not sure if i agree that any woman would have done this if she was assurred she wouldn't get caught. Even if she never was "caught", she is still wasting the tax payers money! she should feel incredibly guilty.

also, i appreciate the answer to my question about how DNA winds up on a man. But I wish i never asked. yipes!

-jgl

Mr Mans Wife said...

Allan Scott, a lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire's School of Forensic and Investigative Sciences, said that DNA is "so sensitive" that if two people met in the street and shook hands and then one committed a crime, they could possibly leave the other person's DNA at the scene.

Bearing this in mind, how could a womans DNA not end up on the mans underpants if they had had intercourse?

(Allan Scott was specifically talking about the McCann case. I'd be interested to read your views on that case)

Anonymous said...

While I probably would have done the same thing if I were in her shoes, I do not agree that she should have used the company's personal equipment do to this. I'm sure those tests aren't the cheapest things in the world, regardless of if they were out of date or whatever. I'm sure there were other ways to catch her cheating husband if the was that careless.
D.J.B.

Anonymous said...

Although, this seems unethical Ann Gordan was a smart woman. She found out the truth the best way she knew how. I don't know what woman wouldn't have done the same. However, yeah some reprecussions have to be paid but something extreme doesn't seem necessary. - a.n.

Anonymous said...

Although I do feel bad for Ann Gordon, what she did was both unethical and irresponsible. She should not have used the state's crime lab equipment for her own personal business, no matter what her reasons for doing so were (even though I'm sure that there are many other women who would be tempted to do the same thing if they found themselves in the same situation). She should be punished for her actions.

ARC

Anonymous said...

Just out of curiosity, what kind of fluids would she have been able to extract from her husband underwear? I know it must have been a fairly expensive procedure, but can some one give me a ball park figure on how much she would have had to pay had she asked a private lab to perform the test for her?

S.S

Anonymous said...

I think that she's a smart lady in trying to use her resources. Where there is a will there is a way. Although, this evidence should not be admissable in court. If I was her, I would have presented the evidence to my husband (depending on what he does for a living it may be over his head) & made him write a statement admitting his adultry that I could give to the , this courts. Yes I may have to black-mail him into writing one, but hey you're just going to go from one crime to the next. --S.D.T.

Anonymous said...

I actually think that that case was pretty interesting and that the woman was pretty smart...underhanded and misusing company resourse, but smart nonetheless. While I do feel that from the technical aspect the woman should have been fired because she misused company supplies (which I know is sometyhing lots of people do) I wonder how that evidence will help with her divorce settlement?
S.R.W

UAB MSFS Program said...

to answer SS questions...

not to be gross, but the dna likely came from epithelial cells contained in vaginal fluid or saliva.

the cost, i'm ballparking $200 bucks or so. The procedure is similar to that of paternity testing.

I'm not sure about labeling this woman as "smart". She gave up her career to save a couple hundred bucks! Of course, she might have wanted to convince herself that there was a problem before getting a private lab involved.

good comments all around.

-jgl

Anonymous said...

Good for you Ann! He got what was comming to him. However if you knew he was doing something like this just divorce him. I don't believe it was worth your job. Most washed up athlete's need to feel important, and they seek approval unfortunatley so many times from the wrong people. You still have a future because of your mind. What does he have probably nothing. He has no future.

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