Forensic Friday: $2 Test, Life Sentence
If a plastic pouch and a color change can wreck your life, we’ve got a problem.
These roadside drug kits? They’re not science—they’re suspicion in a Ziploc. No confirmatory lab. No real oversight. Just faulty tests being treated like gospel in courtrooms across the country.
People are losing their freedom, their kids, and their reputations… because their sweetener packet set off a $2 chemistry party.
What do you think:
Should police still be allowed to use these tests at all? And if so, should any legal decision be made before a real lab confirms the result?
Why do you think these tests are still widely used, even with known error rates? Is it about cost, convenience, or control?
Would you take a plea deal if you were innocent, just to avoid risking a worse sentence based on faulty evidence?
Do you think officers should be required to have scientific training before administering any kind of chemical test?
Sound off, Emerald Order: what say you about science on trial?
