SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – The ongoing DUI case of John Emory Lassey, a Spokane Valley resident accused of hitting a child while driving drunk in his neighborhood, has brought attention to a significant statewide issue: a backlog in DUI blood test results.
In the fall, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) mentioned potential improvements in delays as early as this month. As of September, wait times for alcohol-only test results were around 14 months. Now, they have reduced to about 12 months. However, the industry standard for such tests is 60 days.
Annie Wasilewski, counsel for John Emory Lassey, expressed concerns about the lengthy wait times.
“We’ll have to wait on the blood test. But another thing I would like the court to consider is the length of time that the toxicology lab is taking to get these blood test results back. We’re out 8 to 9 months usually for blood results,” Wasilewski said.
WSP’s Chris Loftis explained the difficulties currently faced in the lab.
“For every case that we have on the shelf waiting, there’s a new case coming in as well,” Loftis said.
Washington state regulations require all criminal toxicology tests to go through WSP labs. However, most WSP labs do not handle this type of testing. For years, all of Washington’s DUI blood tests were processed at a single lab in Seattle. To alleviate this burden, a second toxicology lab was opened in Federal Way in 2023 with all new staff.
“They still have training to take part of as well, and that means that our senior staff who are doing that training, that takes away from their time as well,” Loftis said.
Out of the 17 new forensic scientists hired over the last two years, seven are still in training.
WSP stated they are on track to reduce wait times to the 60-day industry standard by January 2029.
