>> THOUSANDS OF MASSACHUSETTS DRUG CASES ARE BEING VACATED OR
DISMISSED BECAUSE OF A ROGUE SCIENTIST.
THAT IS RIGHT, HERE
SHE IS.
SHE PLED GUILTY BACK IN 2013 TO TAMPERING WITH OR
RENDERING ñ DOING WEIRD THINGS ñ DOING SOMETHING LIKE DRY
LABBING.
ON TUESDAY THE COURT THAT OVERSEES THIS JURISDICTION
SAID THEY ARE GOING TO VACATE 20,000 DRUG CASES THAT WERE THE
WORK OF THIS ONE ROGUE SCIENTIST.
THEY ARE STANDING BY
SOME.
HOW MANY?
1.5% OF ALL THE CASES SHE WAS INVOLVED WITH, AND
THOSE CONTAINED DRUG AND VIOLENCE.
>>THIS
IS A STUNNING NUMBER OF CASES THAT ARE GETTING VACATED HERE.
>>THIS WAS IN 2013 SHE PLED GUILTY.
SHE HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM PRISON.
>> SHE WAS RELEASED A YEAR AGO.
>>SO FINALLY THEY ARE LIKE YEAH, THOSE GUYS ARE STILL IN PRISON
BECAUSE OF ANNIE DUKE, THE ROGUE CHEMIST.
>>THAT SOUNDS LIKE A TV SHOW.
>> BINGE WATCHED THE ROGUE CHEMIST.
THERE ARE SO MANY
THINGS THAT SOUND FUNNY IN THIS.
DRY LABBING?
I FEEL LIKE I WAS
DOING THAT THROUGHOUT HIGH
SCHOOL.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE OTHER EVIDENCE.
I AM A LITTLE BIT MORE
MIXED ON IT.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND A LOT OF PEOPLE PLEAD
DOWN TO DRUG POSSESSION.
BUT I THINK DRUGS SHOULD BE LEGAL AND
I THINK THOSE GUYS ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY HAVE LITTLE
OPPORTUNITY SO MAYBE IT'S NOT
SUCH A BAD THING.
>> THEY SAID ON AVERAGE THEY HAD 60 INSTANCES ON
THE RECORD.
>> DOES THAT MEAN THE OTHER 98 1/2%?
>> THAT IS CRAZY.
PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS AND THEIR
HOUSING BECAUSE THEY WERE IN
PRISON FOR THIS LONG AS A RESULT OF BEING CONVICTED BY FAULTY LAB
WORK.
AND SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN DEPORTED.
>>YES, LIVES HAVE BEEN RUINED ALREADY.
YOU CAN'T UNDO THAT.
WE WILL GIVE HER A COUPLE YEARS IN PRISON IT WILL BE ALL FINE.
>> ON THE OTHER HAND THERE ARE ALSO GUYS WHO ARE GUILTY.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF DISTRICT
ATTORNEYS TOO ARE LIKE ARE YOU
KIDDING ME I JUST SPENT A LOT OF
TIME ON THAT CASE.
>>SHE WAS BLATANTLY SCREWING UP.
HER TURNOVER WAS REALLY HIGH FOR
A PERIOD.
THERE WERE THINGS THAT SHE SAID SHE DID BUT THEN OTHER
PEOPLE IN THE LAB REPORTED NEVER SEEING HER THERE.
IT WAS LIKE
HER EMPLOYERS MISSED A LOT OF
RED FLAGS AND JUST KEPT HER THERE.
IT WAS REALLY MESSED UP
AND BLATANT.
LIKE WE SAID HER PUNISHMENT IS OVER FOR THIS.
>>I WANT TO EXPLAIN THE TWO REASONS WHY SHE DID IT.
ONE, SHE
WANTED TO APPEAR MORE EFFICIENT.
IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME THAT YOU ARE
WILLING TO PLAY WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES.
NOT ONLY WILL YOU GO TO
PRISON, BUT THEIR CHANCE OF GETTING A JOB GOING FORWARD IS
GREATLY REDUCED.
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I WOULD BE SURPRISED
THAT PROSECUTORS WOULD PUT PEOPLE AWAY THAT WERE ACTUALLY
INNOCENT.
HOW COULD YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CAREER SO MUCH THAT
YOU ARE WILLING ñ I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT.
ON TOP OF THAT THIS
WOMAN SOMETIMES WOULD TAKE
SAMPLES OF HER NEGATIVE AND SAY IT WOULD SEEM BETTER IF IT WAS
POSITIVE.
FOR RUINING ALL THOSE INNOCENT LIVES THAT IS ALL YOU
HAVE?
BECAUSE PROSECUTORS AND PEOPLE LIKE HER ARE PRIVILEGED
PEOPLE.
IF YOU ARE IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY THESE 40,000 CASES
ARE CALLED A DUKE AND DEFENDANTS,
40,000 OF THEM AND YOU'RE OUT IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.