The House Committee on General Investigating 
         78th Legislature 
         April 15, 2003 
         8:00 AM or upon final adjourn./recess    
         Capitol Extension E2.030 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted on April 9, 2003, the House  
         Committee on General Investigating met in a public hearing and  
         was called to order by the chair, Representative Bailey, at 8:13  
         a.m. 
          
         The roll was answered as follows: 
          
         Present:  Representative Bailey (1). 
          
         Absent:   Representatives Paxton; Dutton; Flynn; Keel (4). 
          
         A quorum was not present. 
          
         Chairman Bailey proceeded to call hearing to order for invited  
         testimony based on advice of Committee's General Counsel, as no  
         legislation is involved and no votes would be taken. Testimony  
         provided was to advise the committee of procedures being taken  
         as cases are referred back to different counties by the Houston  
         Police Department Crime Lab.   
          
         Chair called Richard Holland to provide information concerning  
         number of cases referred to various counties. 
          
         District Attorney John Healey  provided information concerning  
         Fort Bend County and the Houston Police Department Crime Lab. 
          
         Assistant District Attorney Sylvia Yarborough provided  
         information concerning Montgomery County and the Houston Police  
         Department Crime Lab. 
          
         Chairman Bailey explained that letter was received from District  
         Attorney Kurt Sistrunk, Galveston County and District Attorney  
         Michael Little, Chambers County concerning their willingness to  
         review any case referred back by the Houston Police Department  
         Crime Lab. 
          
         Chairman Bailey called on Assistant District Attorney Marie  
         Munier to provide information concerning the procedure that is  
         being used by the Harris County District Attorney's office. The  
         number of cases to be retested now stands at 95. Not all of the  
         95 are in jail facilities. 
          
         Chairman Bailey called on General Counsel Carl Reynolds, Texas  
         Department of Criminal Justice to explain the proposed video  
         teleconference with inmates as a result of the problems with the  
         Houston Police Department Crime Lab. 
          
         Will Harrell explained the position of the ACLU, LULAC, and  
         NAACP  concerning the need for a Court of Inquiry to look into  
  
         the Houston Police Department Crime Lab. 
          
         At 9:08 a.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection,  
         the meeting was adjourned subject to the call of the chair. 
          
         ________________________ 
         Rep. Bailey, Chair 
          
         ________________________ 
         Roberta Bilsky, Clerk