Over at BlogHouston, Kevin has noted the Chronicle is up to its usual standards of reporting: If you can’t attack the death penalty, attack the people who are responsible for prosecuting the crimes. I’m not about to excuse the HPD lab, but where exactly in this reportdid they find the part about investigators being concerned that the DA’s office might be colluding with the lab to supress evidence in favor of the defendant?

That behavior raised suspicion among investigators of collusion between technicians and law enforcement in manipulating case evidence. A new report Bromwich issued cites “a disturbing and pervasive pattern” in which analysts failed to report findings that would have helped defendants, including several now facing execution.

This may be an editorial, but it doesn’t excuse making something up. Me? Well, certainly I am concerned about it, and I’m sure the editorialist is concerned. In fact, I don’t doubt that the investigators are concerned that it’s possible — only a lunatic statist wouldn’t be. But only a newspaper that has had a major breakdown in it’s vaunted system of checks and balances — or is fundamentally dishonest — can put words in the mouths of the investigators, or add to the report words that aren’t there.