CSI: Laundry

Ann Chamberlain, a forensic scientist from Michigan, is dismissed after using lab equipment to prove that her husband was having an affair.

Last September, Chamberlain performed a DNA test on underwear that belonged to her husband, Charles Gordon Jr, in the Michigan forensic lab where she worked. Chamberlain said that the test showed the presence of another woman's DNA. She and Gordon, who have one child together, were divorced in July.

Gordon's lawyer contacted the Michigan State Police about improper DNA testing. In May, Chamberlain said that she performed the test using expired chemicals that would have been thrown away and that she tested the underwear outside of work hours. Testimony also revealed that Chamberlain used the lab to perform a paternity test for one of Gordon's friends and that Gordon was present in the lab when the test was done.

Chamberlain was suspended with full-pay for two months while the Michigan State Police performed an investigation. Ultimately, they made the decision to dismiss her for her actions. Christopher Bommarito, president of Forensic Science Consultants and president-elect of the Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists, described Chamberlain as "an award-winning scientist with very high ethics and morals." He also feels that "the current situation in no way compromises her ability to function as a forensic scientist" and hopes that the Michigan State Police will reconsider the dismissal. "It is our understanding that she made an error in judgment at a time where she was under stress from both physical and emotional abuse," he said.

The original article is from Times Online.

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