A state judge yesterday refused to appoint the special prosecutor sought by Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice to look into possible misconduct at the now-closed county police crime lab.
Ms. Rice had expressed confidence that her office could conduct the probe but had sought the appointment of an outsider to avoid any appearance of partiality. She noted that her office worked closely with police and relied on the lab’s evaluation of evidence to prosecute cases, which might have been perceived as creating a conflict of interest (NYLJ, Feb. 23).
