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![handle is hein.sag/sagtx0218 and id is 1 raw text is:
KEN PAXTON
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
January 8, 2016
Dr. Vincent J.M. Di Maio Opinion No. KP-0055
Presiding Officer
Texas Forensic Science Commission Re: Responsibilities of the Texas Forensic
1700 North Congress Avenue, Suite 445 Science Commission under article 39.14 of the
Austin, Texas 78701 Code of Criminal Procedure (RQ-0032-KP)
Dear Dr. Di Maio:
The Texas Forensic Science Commission (Commission) asks about its responsibility to
notify relevant parties of exculpatory, impeachment or mitigating information under the Code
of Criminal Procedure.' Your specific questions are:
(1) As a state agency with possession of information that may be
covered by Article 39.1[4]2 of the Texas Code of Criminal
Procedure, what is the Commission's notification responsibility
when it receives such information?
(2) If the Commission notifies the prosecutor with jurisdiction over
the case, is that notification sufficient with the understanding the
prosecutor will assess the matter and determine whether
notification to the defendant is necessary? Or does the
Commission need to provide separate defendant notification?
(3) If a laboratory disclosure involves professional misconduct by a
forensic scientist with the potential to impact criminal cases in
many different jurisdictions, does the Commission need to
notify the prosecutor in each jurisdiction or may it communicate
the information to the Texas District and County Attorney's
Association for distribution to its membership?
'See letter from Lynn Garcia, Gen. Counsel, Tex. Forensic Science Comm'n, to Honorable Ken Paxton, Tex.
Att'y Gen. at 1, (July 15, 2015), https://www.texasattomeygeneral.gov/opinion/requests-for-opinion-rqs (Request
Letter).
2A telephone call to your office verified that your questions concern article 39.14 of the Code of Criminal
Procedure instead of article 39.15. Telephone conference with Tex. Forensic Science Comm'n (Sept. 10, 2015).](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.sag/sagtx0218&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)