quote:

Originally posted by Palm:
I am not trying to justify the delay in this case.

However - talking about how quickly one can get blood/urine tests back and comparing that to the testing of a suspected controlled substance is not an apples-to-apples comparison.

A confirmatory test to see if a white rock really is crack cocaine involves Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer or Infrared Spectroscopy. That all involves time. It's not as simple as putting a piece of the white rock in a container and a light bulb lighting up showing yes or no.

Again, I'm not saying it's right that someone should be held for weeks or months awaiting the confirmatory test, when there is evidence that the presumptive test (field test) may be unreliable. I'm just saying that confirmatory tests for controlled substances are not the same as blood or urine tests in a doctor's office.

It wasn't my intention to, in any way, accuse you of defending delays in lab results and I apologize that my post came out that way. With only limited time to post I took the easy/ fast/ lazy way of including my general thoughts while composing a reply.

Thanks also for pointing out the lab test requirements for crack cocaine. I wasn't aware that a mass spectrometer was involved in the testing. I know that doctors sometimes order samples tested for multiple things, sometimes including testing for illegal drug use, and perhaps I'm wrong but I didn't think a mass spectrometer was used. I suppose whether the potential illegal drug is in its unused form or metabolized in a blood or urine specimen will determine what lab test(s) are used.

I'm still at a loss to understand why a local judicial system would jail someone for weeks/ months while waiting on lab results.

quote:

Originally posted by Modern Day Savage:

It wasn't my intention to, in any way, accuse you of defending delays in lab results and I apologize that my post came out that way. With only limited time to post I took the easy/ fast/ lazy way of including my general thoughts while composing a reply.

Sorry, I was not responding to your post! I definitely did not take your post that way, no apology necessary! Just expressing general thoughts as well.