GPS RESEARCH LIBRARY: Field Drug Test Unreliability: Colorado's HB 26-1020 and Implications for Georgia Reform ============================================================ Georgia Prisoners' Speak — gps.press Generated: 2026-04-06 22:02:40 EDT Research Date: 2026-04-05 Topic: Wrongful Convictions / Forensic Evidence JSON: https://gps.press/research-data/field-drug-test-unreliability-colorados-hb-26-1020-and-implications-for-georgia-reform/?format=json SUMMARY ---------------------------------------- This GPS brief analyzes Colorado's landmark HB 26-1020, the first state law banning arrests based solely on colorimetric field drug tests, and its implications for Georgia—the only state where unconfirmed field test results remain admissible at trial. Drawing on the Quattrone Center's 2024 comprehensive study estimating 30,000 false arrests annually nationwide and false-positive rates of 15-38%, the document details Georgia's unique vulnerability: an estimated 961 false arrests per year, felony classification for virtually all drug possession, GBI lab backlogs creating months-long gaps before confirmatory testing, and a plea system where 89% of prosecutors accept guilty pleas without lab confirmation. The brief provides a concrete legislative roadmap for Georgia reform modeled on Colorado's approach. LEGAL FACTS (14) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Colorado becomes first state to ban arrests based solely on field drug tests Governor Jared Polis signed House Bill 26-1020 on March 26, 2026, making Colorado the first state to legislatively address colorimetric field drug testing, confirmed by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Date: 2026-03-26 Tags: legal,policy,drugs Sources: Polis signs bill aimed at curbing false arrests from field drug tests, Colorado Sun, April 2026 - [confirmed] HB 26-1020 prohibits arrests for drug misdemeanor possession based solely on field tests The statute prohibits arrests for Level 1 drug misdemeanor possession or municipal drug possession charges when a colorimetric field drug test is the sole basis for the charge. Officers must instead issue a summons commanding the suspect to appear at a later date. This summons is explicitly defined as not constituting an arrest warrant. Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,drugs Sources: Colorado General Assembly HB 26-1020 bill text and fiscal note - [confirmed] HB 26-1020 requires plain-language court advisements before guilty pleas Before accepting any guilty plea for Level 4 drug felony possession or lower where a colorimetric test was used, courts must advise defendants that: (a) colorimetric field drug tests are subject to false positive results; (b) presumptive colorimetric field drug test results are inadmissible in court; and (c) the defendant has the right to enter a not guilty plea and request confirmatory drug testing from an accredited forensic laboratory. Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,drugs Sources: Colorado General Assembly HB 26-1020 bill text and fiscal note - [confirmed] Georgia is the only state where unconfirmed field drug test results are admissible at trial According to the Quattrone Center, Georgia is the only state in the United States where presumptive field drug test results remain admissible at trial for non-marijuana drug cases. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal,policy Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [confirmed] Collins v. State: field test results alone sufficient to sustain a conviction In Collins v. State (278 Ga. App. 103, 2006), the Georgia Court of Appeals held that "positive field test results are alone sufficient to sustain a conviction for selling or possessing cocaine" and that "positive test results from the State crime lab are not required." Date: 2006-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Collins v. State, 278 Ga. App. 103, 628 S.E.2d 148 (2006) - [confirmed] Fortune v. State reinforced admissibility under Harper standard In Fortune v. State (304 Ga. App. 121, 2010), the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld admissibility of field drug test results under the Harper standard, which requires only that a technique has "reached a scientific stage of verifiable certainty." The court found that trial courts could take judicial notice that field drug testing had met this standard without requiring expert foundational testimony. Date: 2010-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Fortune v. State, 304 Ga. App. 121 (2010) - [confirmed] Fincher's federal lawsuit dismissed on sovereign immunity grounds Dasha Fincher's federal lawsuit against Monroe County and Sirchie was dismissed — the court granted sovereign immunity to the deputies. Judge Tilman Self III wrote: "Without a doubt, Plaintiff should never have spent 94 days in jail. And while the Court certainly empathizes with her, it nonetheless must follow the requisite law." Fincher received nothing. Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Fincher v. Monroe County et al., U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia - [confirmed] Georgia is only state where felony classification applies to all non-marijuana possession In Georgia, possession of any amount of a Schedule I or II controlled substance — cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine — is classified as a felony under O.C.G.A. Section 16-13-30, carrying penalties of 2 to 15 years for simple possession and mandatory minimums of 10 to 30 years for trafficking quantities. Only marijuana possession under one ounce is a misdemeanor. Tags: drugs,legal,policy Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [confirmed] California SB 912 died in committee due to two-thirds supermajority requirement California's SB 912 — the 'Requiring Objective and Accurate Drug Testing (ROAD Testing) Act,' authored by Senator Scott Wiener — would have prohibited colorimetric test results from being used for probable cause, charging, or conviction without lab confirmation. It was held in committee and effectively died in May 2024, partly because California's Truth-in-Evidence constitutional provision required a two-thirds supermajority to exclude evidence from criminal proceedings. Date: 2024-05-01 Tags: drugs,legal,policy Sources: California SB 912 bill text and legislative history - [reported] North Carolina HB 868 stalled in committee since April 2025 North Carolina's HB 868 — 'Due Process in LEO Field Drug Testing,' introduced April 2025 by Representatives Rubin and Chesser — has been stalled in committee since referral. Date: 2025-04-01 Tags: drugs,legal,policy Sources: North Carolina HB 868 bill text - [confirmed] DOJ determined in 1978 field tests should not be used for evidential purposes The Department of Justice determined in 1978 that field drug tests "should not be used for evidential purposes." Date: 1978-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal,policy Sources: NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence, Landscape Study of Field Portable Devices for Presumptive Drug Testing, 2018 - [confirmed] National Bureau of Standards 1974 caution on field tests as sole evidence The National Bureau of Standards cautioned in 1974 that the tests "should not be used as sole evidence for the identification of a narcotic or drug of abuse." Date: 1974-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal,policy Sources: NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence, Landscape Study of Field Portable Devices for Presumptive Drug Testing, 2018 - [confirmed] Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act signed by Kemp in 2025 Governor Kemp signed the Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act in 2025, providing $75,000 per year to exonerees. Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,budget Sources: GPS Analysis: Colorado's landmark drug test law and what it means for Georgia - [reported] Nebraska LB 519: allows prison inmates to request confirmatory retesting Nebraska passed LB 519, a narrower measure allowing prison inmates who receive false positives to request confirmatory retesting before disciplinary action. Tags: drugs,legal,policy,conditions Sources: GPS Analysis: Colorado's landmark drug test law and what it means for Georgia STATISTICS (39) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] HB 26-1020 passed unanimously in both chambers Colorado HB 26-1020 passed 65-0 in the House and 33-0 in the Senate. Value: 65.0 House votes in favor (unanimous) (vs. 33 Senate votes in favor (unanimous)) Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,policy,drugs Sources: Colorado General Assembly HB 26-1020 bill text and fiscal note - [reported] HB 26-1020 fiscal impact: $0 new appropriations The fiscal note for Colorado HB 26-1020 estimated $0 in new appropriations — summons procedures slightly increase court workload but reduce jail booking costs. Value: 0.0 dollars in new appropriations Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: budget,policy,drugs Sources: Colorado General Assembly HB 26-1020 bill text and fiscal note - [reported] Colorado DOC colorimetric testing false-positive rate: approximately 33% The Colorado HB 25-1183 working group found that the Colorado Department of Corrections had a false-positive rate of approximately 33% for its colorimetric testing program. Value: 33.0 percent false-positive rate Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: drugs,contraband,conditions Sources: Colorado HB 25-1183 bill text (working group creation) - [estimated] Approximately 773,000 drug arrests per year involve colorimetric field tests The Quattrone Center estimated that approximately 773,000 drug-related arrests per year involve colorimetric field tests — roughly half of all 1.5 million annual drug arrests in the United States from 2010 to 2019. Value: 773000.0 drug arrests per year involving field tests (vs. 1500000 total annual drug arrests) Tags: drugs,operations Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [estimated] Estimated 30,000 false arrests per year from faulty field drug tests Based on observed false-positive rates and arrest data, the Quattrone Center estimated that approximately 30,000 people are falsely arrested every year based on inaccurate field test results, a figure they described as conservative. Value: 30000.0 false arrests per year Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal,investigations Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [estimated] Actual false-positive rates: 15% to 38%, vs. manufacturer claims of ~4% While manufacturers have historically claimed error rates of approximately 4%, the Quattrone Center estimated actual false-positive rates range between 15% and 38%, depending on the jurisdiction and substance tested. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,investigations Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [confirmed] NYC DOI: 85% average false-positive rate for fentanyl field tests in city jails The NYC Department of Investigation submitted 71 items that had field-tested positive for fentanyl in city jails to an independent laboratory. Only 15% actually contained fentanyl — yielding an average 85% false-positive rate. Value: 85.0 percent false-positive rate Date: 2024-11-01 Tags: drugs,contraband,conditions Sources: Investigation into Use and Efficacy of Colorimetric Drug Tests in City Jails, NYC Department of Investigation, November 2024 - [confirmed] NARK II tests: 91% false-positive rate; MobileDetect: 79% false-positive rate The NARK II tests manufactured by Sirchie produced a 91% false-positive rate; MobileDetect tests by DetectaChem produced a 79% false-positive rate in NYC DOI testing. Value: 91.0 percent false-positive rate (NARK II) (vs. 79 percent false-positive rate (MobileDetect)) Date: 2024-11-01 Tags: drugs,contraband Sources: Investigation into Use and Efficacy of Colorimetric Drug Tests in City Jails, NYC Department of Investigation, November 2024 - [confirmed] Massachusetts class action: 38% false-positive rate on incoming prison mail In Green v. Massachusetts Department of Correction (2021), 38% of incoming prison mail that tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids contained no illegal drugs. Value: 38.0 percent false-positive rate Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: drugs,contraband,legal,conditions Sources: Green v. Massachusetts Department of Correction, Suffolk County Superior Court, 2021 - [confirmed] Harris County: 298 people convicted despite lab tests finding no controlled substances Between January 2004 and June 2015, at least 298 people were convicted of drug possession in Harris County, Texas despite crime lab tests later finding no controlled substances in the evidence. Of those, 212 convictions were based on Houston Police Department arrests using field tests. Value: 298.0 wrongful convictions Tags: drugs,legal,investigations Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [confirmed] Harris County overturned 131+ convictions via Conviction Integrity Unit The Harris County District Attorney's Conviction Integrity Unit ultimately overturned 131+ convictions based on false field drug test results. Harris County was responsible for half of all exonerations by conviction-integrity units nationwide during this period. Value: 131.0 convictions overturned (minimum) Tags: drugs,legal,investigations Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [reported] Houston PD purchased 9,000 field test kits in 2014 Houston Police Department purchased 9,000 field test kits in 2014 alone. Value: 9000.0 field test kits purchased Date: 2014-01-01 Tags: drugs,operations,budget Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [confirmed] Innocent in Harris County pleaded guilty average of 4 days after arrest In Harris County, the innocent pleaded guilty an average of four days after arrest — well before any lab could return results. Value: 4.0 days (average time from arrest to guilty plea) Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [confirmed] 60% of Harris County wrongful convictions were African American in a 24% Black city Sixty percent of those wrongfully convicted based on field test false positives in Harris County were African American, in a city that is approximately 24% Black. Value: 60.0 percent of wrongful convictions were African American (vs. 24 percent Black population in Houston) Tags: drugs,legal,demographics Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [confirmed] Las Vegas: 33% of cocaine field tests were false positives (2010-2013) In Las Vegas/Clark County, Nevada, ProPublica found that 33% of cocaine field tests between 2010 and 2013 were false positives. Value: 33.0 percent false-positive rate Tags: drugs,investigations Sources: Unfounded, ProPublica, October 2016 - [confirmed] Las Vegas: 99.8% of drug convictions resolved by plea deal in 2014 In Clark County, Nevada, only 8 of 4,633 drug convictions went to trial in 2014; 99.8% were resolved by plea deal. Value: 99.8 percent resolved by plea deal (vs. 8 cases that went to trial) Date: 2014-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Unfounded, ProPublica, October 2016 - [confirmed] Georgia: 145 false positives from field tests confirmed by GBI in 2017 A 2018 FOX 5 Atlanta I-Team investigation obtained every negative drug test report from the GBI Crime Lab in 2017 and confirmed 145 false positives from field tests statewide in a single year: 64 for methamphetamine, 40 for cocaine, 24 for ecstasy, and 11 for heroin. Value: 145.0 confirmed false positives in one year Date: 2017-01-01 Tags: drugs,investigations Sources: Exposed: roadside drug tests are unreliable, cheap and manufactured overseas, Fox 5 Atlanta I-Team, 2018 - [reported] At least 3 people pleaded guilty in Georgia before lab results returned false positives In the 2017 Georgia false-positive data, at least three people had already pleaded guilty before lab results returned showing no controlled substances. Value: 3.0 people (minimum who pleaded guilty before exculpatory lab results) Date: 2017-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Exposed: roadside drug tests are unreliable, cheap and manufactured overseas, Fox 5 Atlanta I-Team, 2018 - [confirmed] Savannah Police Department: 21.4% error rate in internal audit A Savannah Police Department internal audit in 2017 found the portable drug test was wrong in 9 of 42 cases reviewed — a 21.4% error rate. Value: 21.4 percent error rate Date: 2017-01-01 Tags: drugs,investigations,operations Sources: Exposed: roadside drug tests are unreliable, cheap and manufactured overseas, Fox 5 Atlanta I-Team, 2018 - [reported] New York: 2,000 inmates wrongly punished based on unverified field test results The New York State Inspector General found that 2,000 inmates had been wrongly punished based on unverified field test results, including solitary confinement, suspended visitation, and loss of earned time credits. Value: 2000.0 inmates wrongly punished Tags: drugs,contraband,conditions,solitary Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [reported] 68% of Georgia police agencies still use roadside drug tests A 2024 FOX 5 Atlanta poll of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police found that 68% of responding agencies still use roadside drug tests. Value: 68.0 percent of responding agencies Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,operations,policy Sources: FOX 5 Atlanta, Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police survey, 2024 - [reported] Only 26% of Georgia agencies require additional evidence before arrest based on field tests Only 26% of Georgia police agencies responding to the 2024 survey had a policy requiring additional evidence before making an arrest based on field test results. Value: 26.0 percent of responding agencies Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,policy,operations Sources: FOX 5 Atlanta, Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police survey, 2024 - [estimated] Estimated 961 Georgians falsely arrested each year due to faulty field tests The Quattrone Center estimates that approximately 961 Georgians are falsely arrested each year due to faulty field drug test results. Value: 961.0 false arrests per year in Georgia Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [reported] GBI evidence backlog: 36,194 items total in 2019, 19,112 in drug testing In 2019, the GBI total evidence backlog reached 36,194 items, with 19,112 in the chemistry/drug testing section alone — over half. Macon DA David Cooke reported 7-8 month waits for results, with some cases taking up to a year. Value: 36194.0 evidence items in backlog (vs. 19112 items in chemistry/drug testing backlog) Date: 2019-01-01 Tags: drugs,operations Sources: GBI Division of Forensic Sciences Annual Reports, 2019-2024 - [reported] GBI lab 2024: output exceeded input for first time, backlog reduced 11% In 2024, the GBI lab received approximately 103,000 testing requests and reported back approximately 105,000 — the first time in several years that output exceeded input, reducing the backlog by 11%. Value: 11.0 percent backlog reduction Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,operations Sources: GBI Division of Forensic Sciences Annual Reports, 2019-2024 - [confirmed] Fincher case evidence turnaround: 2.5 months In the Fincher case, evidence was submitted to the GBI lab on January 6, 2017 and results returned March 22 — a 2.5-month wait. Value: 2.5 months (lab turnaround time) Date: 2017-01-01 Tags: drugs,operations Sources: Fincher v. Monroe County et al., U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia - [reported] 89% of prosecutors accept guilty pleas without confirmatory lab testing The Quattrone Center found that 89% of prosecutors surveyed accept guilty pleas without any confirmatory laboratory testing. Value: 89.0 percent of prosecutors Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [reported] 67% of drug labs not asked to review samples when cases resolved by plea 67% of drug labs reported they are not asked to review samples when cases are resolved by plea agreements. Value: 67.0 percent of drug labs Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [reported] 46% of labs do not conduct confirmatory testing after guilty plea 46% of labs do not conduct confirmatory testing if a guilty plea has already been entered. Value: 46.0 percent of labs Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal,data_gap Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [reported] Over 80% of prosecutors: 'extremely unlikely' evidence will be analyzed after plea deal Over 80% of prosecutors acknowledged it is "extremely unlikely" that seized drug evidence will ever be analyzed once a plea deal is reached. Value: 80.0 percent of prosecutors (minimum) Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal,data_gap Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [confirmed] Approximately 95% of criminal cases resolved through plea agreements nationally Nationally, approximately 95% of criminal cases are resolved through plea agreements. Value: 95.0 percent of criminal cases Tags: legal Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [estimated] Minimum 100,000 people per year plead guilty to drug charges relying on field tests ProPublica estimated that a minimum of 100,000 people per year plead guilty to drug charges that rely on field test results as the primary evidence. Value: 100000.0 guilty pleas per year (minimum estimate) Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [confirmed] National Registry: 531 of 3,396 exonerations involved substances that were not drugs The National Registry of Exonerations documents that 531 of its 3,396 known exonerations involved wrongful drug arrests for substances that were not drugs. Value: 531.0 exonerations involving non-drug substances (vs. 3396 total known exonerations) Tags: drugs,legal Sources: National Registry of Exonerations, University of Michigan - [reported] Black Americans experience erroneous drug arrests at 3x the rate of white Americans The Quattrone Center's 2024 study found that Black Americans experience erroneous drug arrests from field tests at a rate three times higher than white Americans on a per-capita basis. Value: 3.0 times higher rate (Black vs. white Americans) Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,demographics,legal Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [reported] 93% of those wrongfully convicted received jail or prison sentences ProPublica's nationwide analysis found that 93% of those wrongfully convicted in the field drug test cases they examined received jail or prison sentences. Value: 93.0 percent received jail or prison sentences Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [reported] Georgia Innocence Project: invalid forensic evidence in 44% of exoneration cases The Georgia Innocence Project has specifically identified "invalid forensic evidence" as a factor in 44% of its exoneration cases. Value: 44.0 percent of exoneration cases Tags: drugs,legal,investigations Sources: GPS Analysis: Colorado's landmark drug test law and what it means for Georgia - [reported] Hillsborough County FL: 15 false meth positives in 7 months In Hillsborough County, Florida, 15 false methamphetamine positives occurred in 7 months when officers misidentified which color meant 'positive.' Value: 15.0 false positive results in 7 months Tags: drugs,staffing,operations Sources: Unfounded, ProPublica, October 2016 - [confirmed] Field drug test kits cost approximately $2 each Colorimetric field drug test kits are cheap, approximately $2 chemical kits. The Scott Company sold them for approximately $1 per kit to Houston PD. Value: 2.0 dollars per kit (approximate) Tags: drugs,budget,operations Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [reported] Portland/Multnomah County OR: 5 convictions vacated after ProPublica reporting In Portland/Multnomah County, Oregon, 5 convictions were vacated after ProPublica's reporting on field drug test unreliability. Value: 5.0 convictions vacated Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Unfounded, ProPublica, October 2016 FINDINGS (4) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Colorado working group: only 4 of 23 judicial districts responded to survey The working group created by HB 25-1183 surveyed prosecutors in all 23 of Colorado's judicial districts. Only four responded, but those four unanimously confirmed that lab tests are only conducted when a case goes to trial — meaning the vast majority of cases resolved by plea deal never receive confirmatory testing. Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal,data_gap Sources: Colorado HB 25-1183 bill text (working group creation) - [confirmed] Winstock et al. found Marquis, Mecke, and Simon's reagents lack sensitivity and specificity A 2003 study published in Pharmacotherapy tested Marquis, Mecke, and Simon's reagents for MDMA identification and found they "lacked both sensitivity and specificity" — and that even experienced toxicologists produced false-positive results. Date: 2003-01-01 Tags: drugs Sources: Winstock et al., Ecstasy pill testing: harm minimization gone too far?, Pharmacotherapy, 2003 - [reported] GBI lab is second-oldest statewide crime lab in the U.S., established 1952 The GBI Division of Forensic Sciences is the second-oldest statewide crime lab in the country, established in 1952, serving approximately 800 law enforcement agencies across Georgia's 159 counties. Date: 1952-01-01 Tags: operations,facilities Sources: GBI Division of Forensic Sciences Annual Reports, 2019-2024 - [reported] Las Vegas crime lab director wanted to abandon kits since 2010 The LVMPD's own crime lab director, Kim Murga, had wanted to abandon field drug test kits since 2010. Date: 2010-01-01 Tags: drugs,operations Sources: Unfounded, ProPublica, October 2016 CASE DETAILS (12) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Holly Bennett case: 65-year-old great-grandmother falsely charged with cocaine possession In October 2022, Holly Bennett, a 65-year-old great-grandmother from Lafayette, Colorado, was hospitalized for emergency neck surgery. A police officer entered her hospital room and charged her with cocaine possession after a colorimetric test returned a positive result on her prescription Ritalin that had broken down into powder in her purse. Bennett endured a 15-month legal nightmare, was pressured to plead guilty and accept diversion, and was forced to refinance her home to pay for an attorney. Only after attorney Noah Stout demanded a trial was the substance lab-tested and confirmed to contain no cocaine. The charge was dismissed and records expunged. Date: 2022-10-01 Tags: drugs,legal,investigations Sources: How a great-grandmother's false cocaine charge sparked a new Colorado law, CNN, April 5, 2026 - [confirmed] Bird droppings tested positive for cocaine in Georgia (Shai Werts case) Bird droppings on the car of Shai Werts, Georgia Southern University quarterback, tested positive for cocaine in a field test in Saluda County, South Carolina, in July 2019. Date: 2019-07-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [confirmed] Krispy Kreme donut glaze tested positive for methamphetamine (Daniel Rushing case) In December 2015, Daniel Rushing, 64, of Orlando, FL, was arrested after Krispy Kreme donut glaze tested positive for methamphetamine in a field drug test. He settled for $37,500. Date: 2015-12-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [confirmed] Cotton candy tested positive for methamphetamine: Dasha Fincher case In December 2016, Dasha Fincher of Monroe County, Georgia was arrested after cotton candy tested positive for methamphetamine in a Sirchie NARK II field test. She spent 94 days in jail. Date: 2016-12-01 Tags: drugs,legal,conditions Sources: Exposed: roadside drug tests are unreliable, cheap and manufactured overseas, Fox 5 Atlanta I-Team, 2018 - [reported] Toddler's cremated ashes tested positive for MDMA/methamphetamine In April 2020, Dartavius Barnes of Springfield, IL was arrested after a toddler's cremated ashes tested positive for MDMA/methamphetamine in a field drug test. Date: 2020-04-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [confirmed] Powdered milk tested positive for cocaine: Cody Gregg nearly sentenced to 15 years In August 2019, Cody Gregg, 26, a homeless man in Oklahoma City, was arrested after powdered milk tested positive for cocaine. He pleaded guilty to cocaine possession with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 15 years, simply to escape the overcrowded Oklahoma County Jail. Lab results came back negative nearly two months later; his plea was withdrawn and the case dismissed. Date: 2019-08-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [reported] Lidocaine tested positive for cocaine: Kena'z Edwards held on $178,000 bond Kena'z Edwards of Jacksonville, FL was arrested after lidocaine tested positive for cocaine in a field drug test. His bond was set at $178,000 and he spent more than 3 months in jail. Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [reported] Stress ball sand tested positive for cocaine: Ju'zema Goldring jailed nearly 6 months In October 2015, Ju'zema Goldring of Atlanta, GA was arrested after stress ball sand tested positive for cocaine in a field drug test. He spent nearly 6 months in Fulton County Jail. Date: 2015-10-01 Tags: drugs,legal,conditions Sources: Exposed: roadside drug tests are unreliable, cheap and manufactured overseas, Fox 5 Atlanta I-Team, 2018 - [reported] IBS medication tested positive for fentanyl: Bryan Getchius case In 2024, Bryan Getchius of Greenwood County, SC was arrested after his IBS medication tested positive for fentanyl in a field drug test. He spent 15 days in jail and 7 months on house arrest. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [confirmed] Amy Albritton case: wrongful conviction for white crumb on car floor On August 3, 2010, Amy Albritton, 43, a property manager from Monroe, Louisiana, was pulled over in Houston. Officers found a white crumb on her car floor. A cobalt thiocyanate field test returned positive for crack cocaine. She pleaded guilty within 48 hours, received a 45-day sentence, and served 21 days. Five months later, the crime lab found no controlled substance. The DA's exoneration letter wasn't sent until July 2014; Albritton had moved and never received it. ProPublica reporters located her in 2015 and informed her. Her conviction was not formally vacated until June 2016 — six years after the false arrest. Date: 2010-08-03 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016 - [confirmed] Dasha Fincher case details: $1 million bail for cotton candy On New Year's Eve 2016, Monroe County deputies pulled over Dasha Fincher for an alleged window tint violation (later admitted to be legal). They found cotton candy in a clear plastic bag. A Sirchie NARK II field test returned positive for methamphetamine. She was charged with trafficking methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute, with bail set at $1 million cash. She spent 94 days in jail. The GBI lab confirmed no controlled substances on March 22, 2017, but charges were not dropped until April 18 — nearly a month after the lab cleared her. She was indicted by a grand jury on March 15 while in jail. She missed the birth of twin grandchildren and her daughter's miscarriage, and was denied adequate medical treatment for a broken hand and ovarian cyst. Date: 2016-12-01 Tags: drugs,legal,conditions,medical Sources: Fincher v. Monroe County et al., U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia - [reported] Jacksonville Sheriff's Office stopped using field tests in September 2024 Jacksonville, Florida's Duval County Sheriff's Office stopped using field tests entirely in September 2024 after discovering multiple over-the-counter cold medications triggered false cocaine positives. Date: 2024-09-01 Tags: drugs,policy,operations Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 QUOTES (8) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Quote: Attorney Noah Stout on blind trust in field drug tests "Everyone, at every stage, seemed to blindly trust the results of this test." Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: How a great-grandmother's false cocaine charge sparked a new Colorado law, CNN, April 5, 2026 - [reported] Colorimetric field testing called largest known contributing factor to wrongful arrests The Quattrone Center called colorimetric field testing "one of the largest, if not the largest, known contributing factor to wrongful arrests and convictions in the United States." Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [confirmed] Judge characterized NARK II kits as 'arbitrary and unlawful guesswork' Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Brian S. Davis characterized the NARK II kits as "arbitrary and unlawful guesswork" and their accuracy as "only marginally better than a coin-flip," issuing an immediate injunction halting their use. Date: 2021-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal,contraband Sources: Green v. Massachusetts Department of Correction, Suffolk County Superior Court, 2021 - [reported] Colorado working group: false positives are 'largely invisible' without lab confirmation The Colorado working group concluded: "In the absence of laboratory confirmatory testing, the incidence of false positives is largely invisible." Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: drugs,data_gap Sources: Colorado HB 25-1183 bill text (working group creation) - [reported] Quote: Holly Bennett's attorney on the gap in legal representation Noah Stout highlighted "a huge gap between the individuals who qualify for a public defender versus who actually can afford an attorney" — many defendants earn too much to qualify for a public defender but too little to hire private counsel. Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: legal,drugs Sources: How a great-grandmother's false cocaine charge sparked a new Colorado law, CNN, April 5, 2026 - [reported] Quote: Governor Kemp on Georgia valuing justice Governor Kemp stated that "Georgia values justice even when it means admitting error" when signing the Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act. Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: legal,policy Sources: GPS Analysis: Colorado's landmark drug test law and what it means for Georgia - [confirmed] Quote: Judge Tilman Self III on Fincher case "Without a doubt, Plaintiff should never have spent 94 days in jail. And while the Court certainly empathizes with her, it nonetheless must follow the requisite law." Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Fincher v. Monroe County et al., U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia - [reported] Colorado working group quote on coercive plea dynamics The Colorado working group stated: "people regularly plead guilty to drug possession offenses absent laboratory confirmation because they cannot afford to remain in custody awaiting a laboratory test or cannot afford a lengthy courtroom battle." Date: 2025-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal Sources: Colorado HB 25-1183 bill text (working group creation) DATA GAPS (2) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] No federal agency regulates manufacture or sale of field drug test kits No federal agency regulates the manufacture or sale of colorimetric field drug test kits. Date: 2026-01-01 Tags: drugs,policy Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 - [confirmed] Invisible false positive crisis: system designed never to check The Quattrone Center's estimate of 30,000 false arrests per year is, by the researchers' own admission, conservative. The true number is unknowable precisely because the system is designed never to check — most plea-resolved cases never receive confirmatory lab testing. Date: 2024-01-01 Tags: drugs,legal,data_gap Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 POLICYS (3) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] No mandatory training in Georgia for officers on field drug test use There is no mandatory training in Georgia for officers on how to use field drug tests. Deputy Cody Maples, who arrested Dasha Fincher for cotton candy, admitted before a grand jury that he had no training in drug recognition. Date: 2018-01-01 Tags: drugs,staffing,policy Sources: FOX 5 Atlanta, Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police survey, 2024 - [confirmed] ALEC model policy finalized January 2026, more expansive than Colorado's law The ALEC Colorimetric Presumptive Field Drug Test Limitations Act, finalized January 6, 2026, bars colorimetric results from being used for probable cause, arrest, charging, conviction, or sentencing without confirmatory testing, and mandates cite-and-release when no separate criminal offense applies. Date: 2026-01-06 Tags: drugs,legal,policy Sources: ALEC Colorimetric Presumptive Field Drug Test Limitations Act, January 2026 - [reported] Georgia reform bill five-part framework A Georgia bill would need to: (1) mandate summons in lieu of arrest for simple possession based solely on field tests (amending O.C.G.A. Section 17-4-20 et seq.); (2) require court advisements before plea acceptance (amending O.C.G.A. Section 17-7-93); (3) codify that colorimetric field test results are inadmissible as substantive evidence, overriding Collins v. State and Fortune v. State; (4) establish a right to confirmatory GBI lab testing at any stage; (5) preserve the right to withdraw a guilty plea if confirmatory testing finds no controlled substance. Tags: drugs,legal,policy Sources: GPS Analysis: Colorado's landmark drug test law and what it means for Georgia TRENDS (1) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Agencies that abandoned colorimetric kits Several law enforcement agencies have voluntarily abandoned colorimetric kits, including Denver, Centennial, and Castle Pines in Colorado; multiple California agencies including CHP and SFPD; Jacksonville, Florida's Sheriff's Office; and Georgia Tech Police. Harris County, Texas stopped accepting guilty pleas for felony drug cases without lab confirmation in 2015. Houston PD ceased field drug testing entirely in 2017. Tags: drugs,policy,operations Sources: Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024 DATASETS (4) ---------------------------------------- # Georgia GBI False Positives by Drug Type (2017) Breakdown of 145 confirmed false-positive field drug test results from the GBI Crime Lab in 2017, by drug type Drug Type False Positives ---------------------------------- Methamphetamine 64 Cocaine 40 Ecstasy 24 Heroin 11 Other 6 # Notable False Positive Cases from Field Drug Tests Documented cases where legal substances triggered false positive field drug test results, leading to arrests Substance False Positive For Person Location Year Outcome ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bird droppings Cocaine Shai Werts Saluda County, SC 2019 Charges dropped Krispy Kreme donut glaze Methamphetamine Daniel Rushing Orlando, FL 2015 $37,500 settlement Cotton candy Methamphetamine Dasha Fincher Monroe County, GA 2016 94 days jailed; lawsuit dismissed Toddler's cremated ashes MDMA/Methamphetamine Dartavius Barnes Springfield, IL 2020 Charges dropped Prescription Ritalin Cocaine Holly Bennett Lafayette, CO 2022 Charges dismissed after 15 months Powdered milk Cocaine Cody Gregg Oklahoma City, OK 2019 15-year plea withdrawn Lidocaine Cocaine Kena'z Edwards Jacksonville, FL $178,000 bond; 3+ months jailed Kitty litter Methamphetamine Ross Lebeau Harris County, TX Charges dropped Stress ball sand Cocaine Ju'zema Goldring Atlanta, GA 2015 Nearly 6 months in Fulton County Jail IBS medication Fentanyl Bryan Getchius Greenwood County, SC 2024 15 days jailed; 7 months house arrest # Quattrone Center Prosecutorial and Lab Survey Findings Key statistics from the Quattrone Center's survey of prosecutors and drug labs regarding confirmatory testing practices Finding Percentage --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prosecutors accepting guilty pleas without confirmatory lab testing 89 Drug labs not asked to review samples when cases resolved by plea 67 Labs not conducting confirmatory testing after guilty plea entered 46 Prosecutors saying evidence analysis 'extremely unlikely' after plea deal 80 # Field Drug Test False Positive Rates by Source Documented false positive rates from various studies and jurisdictions for colorimetric field drug tests Source/Jurisdiction False Positive Rate Context Year --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manufacturer claims 4 General use Historical Quattrone Center estimate (low) 15 National, all jurisdictions 2024 Quattrone Center estimate (high) 38 National, worst jurisdictions 2024 Savannah PD internal audit 21.4 Georgia law enforcement 2017 Colorado DOC 33 Correctional setting 2025 Las Vegas/Clark County (cocaine) 33 Law enforcement 2010-2013 Massachusetts prison mail 38 Correctional mail screening 2021 NYC DOI (all tests, fentanyl) 85 City jail correctional setting 2024 NYC DOI (MobileDetect, fentanyl) 79 City jail correctional setting 2024 NYC DOI (NARK II, fentanyl) 91 City jail correctional setting 2024 KEY ENTITIES (64) ---------------------------------------- - ALEC [organization]: Conservative organization that passed a 2019 Model Resolution urging states to ensure proportionality between plea and trial sentences, demonstrating bipartisan support for trial penalty reform. (aka: American Legislative Exchange Council) - ALEC Colorimetric Presumptive Field Drug Test Limitations Act [legislation]: ALEC model policy finalized January 6, 2026, barring colorimetric results from probable cause, arrest, charging, conviction, or sentencing without confirmatory testing - Amy Albritton [person]: 43-year-old property manager from Monroe, Louisiana wrongfully convicted in Houston after a white crumb tested positive for crack cocaine via cobalt thiocyanate field test in 2010 - Brian Kemp [person]: Governor of Georgia who proposed $600 million in emergency spending over 18 months for prison reform in January 2025. (aka: Governor Kemp) - Brian S. Davis [person]: Suffolk County Superior Court Judge who characterized NARK II kits as 'arbitrary and unlawful guesswork' and issued an injunction halting their use (aka: Judge Brian S. Davis) - Brian Strickland [person]: State Senator, Republican AG candidate. Limited documentation, general law-and-order positions. - Bryan Getchius [person]: Greenwood County, SC man arrested in 2024 after IBS medication tested positive for fentanyl; 15 days jailed, 7 months house arrest - California SB 912 [legislation]: California bill by Senator Wiener that would have prohibited colorimetric test results from being used without lab confirmation; died in committee May 2024 (aka: SB 912, ROAD Testing Act, Requiring Objective and Accurate Drug Testing Act) - Chuck Efstration [person]: Georgia House Majority Leader (R-104th District), former Gwinnett County prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, identified as strongest potential primary sponsor for Georgia reform bill (aka: Representative Chuck Efstration) - Clark County [facility]: Nevada county where ProPublica found 33% of cocaine field tests were false positives and 99.8% of drug cases resolved by plea deal (aka: Clark County, Nevada, Las Vegas/Clark County) - Cody Gregg [person]: 26-year-old homeless man in Oklahoma City who pleaded guilty to 15-year cocaine sentence for powdered milk to escape overcrowded jail; plea withdrawn after negative lab result - Cody Maples [person]: Monroe County deputy who arrested Dasha Fincher; admitted before a grand jury that he had no training in drug recognition (aka: Deputy Cody Maples) - Collins v. State [case]: 2006 Georgia Court of Appeals case holding that positive field test results are alone sufficient to sustain a drug conviction without crime lab confirmation (aka: Collins v. State, 278 Ga. App. 103) - Colorado Department of Corrections [organization]: Colorado state corrections agency found to have approximately 33% false-positive rate for its colorimetric testing program (aka: Colorado DOC) - Colorado HB 25-1183 [legislation]: Colorado bill signed June 2025 creating a working group to study the impact of colorimetric drug tests across criminal proceedings and carceral settings (aka: HB 25-1183) - Colorado HB 26-1020 [legislation]: First state law banning arrests based solely on colorimetric field drug tests, signed by Governor Polis on March 26, 2026 (aka: HB 26-1020) - Daniel Rushing [person]: 64-year-old Orlando, FL man arrested after Krispy Kreme donut glaze tested positive for methamphetamine; settled for $37,500 - Dartavius Barnes [person]: Springfield, IL man arrested after a toddler's cremated ashes tested positive for MDMA/methamphetamine in April 2020 - Dasha Fincher [person]: Georgia woman who spent 94 days in Monroe County Jail after cotton candy tested positive for methamphetamine in a Sirchie NARK II field test in December 2016 - David Cooke [person]: Macon District Attorney who reported 7-8 month waits for GBI lab results (aka: Macon DA David Cooke) - DetectaChem [organization]: Manufacturer of MobileDetect colorimetric field drug tests, which produced a 79% false-positive rate in NYC DOI testing - Fincher v. Monroe County [case]: Federal lawsuit filed by Dasha Fincher after 94 days wrongful jailing; dismissed on sovereign immunity grounds by Judge Tilman Self III (aka: Fincher v. Monroe County et al.) - Fortune v. State [case]: 2010 Georgia Court of Appeals case reinforcing admissibility of field drug test results under the Harper evidentiary standard (aka: Fortune v. State, 304 Ga. App. 121) - Fulton County Jail [facility]: Facility subject to a new 2025 DOJ consent decree addressing unconstitutional conditions. - GBI Division of Forensic Sciences [organization]: Second-oldest statewide crime lab in the U.S. (est. 1952), serves approximately 800 law enforcement agencies across Georgia's 159 counties; primary confirmatory drug testing facility for Georgia (aka: GBI Crime Lab, GBI lab, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Division of Forensic Sciences) - GDC [organization]: Georgia state corrections department operating 12 reentry centers with 2,344 beds and various cognitive programming initiatives. (aka: Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia DOC) - Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police [organization]: Organization of Georgia police chiefs surveyed by FOX 5 Atlanta in 2024 regarding field drug test practices - Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers [organization]: Identified as institutional ally for Georgia field drug test reform legislation (aka: GACDL) - Georgia Court of Appeals [organization]: Georgia's intermediate appellate court - Georgia Innocence Project [organization]: Founded in 2002, the first and only innocence organization in Georgia. Has helped free or exonerate 16 individuals who collectively lost 372 years to wrongful imprisonment. Received over 7,900 requests for assistance. (aka: GIP) - Georgia Justice Project [organization]: Advocacy organization tracking Georgia criminal justice data, criminal records, and occupational licensing reform (aka: GJP) - Georgia Tech Police [organization]: Georgia campus police department that voluntarily abandoned colorimetric field drug test kits - Green v. Massachusetts Department of Correction [case]: 2021 Massachusetts class-action lawsuit revealing 38% false-positive rate for synthetic cannabinoid tests on prison mail; resulted in injunction halting NARK II use - Harper v. State [case]: 2009 Georgia Supreme Court 4-3 decision that overruled Chester v. State, holding that a motion to vacate a conviction is not an appropriate remedy in a criminal case. Made possible by single justice replacement. (aka: Harper v. State, 286 Ga. 216) - Harris County [facility]: Texas county that was the site of the largest documented mass false conviction scandal from field drug tests; 298 wrongful convictions identified between 2004-2015 (aka: Harris County, Texas, Houston/Harris County) - Holly Bennett [person]: 65-year-old great-grandmother from Lafayette, Colorado falsely charged with cocaine possession after prescription Ritalin tested positive; her case was the catalyst for Colorado's law - Houston Police Department [organization]: Texas police department responsible for 212 of 298 wrongful drug convictions in Harris County; ceased field drug testing entirely in 2017 (aka: Houston PD, HPD) - Innocence Project [organization]: National organization working to free innocent people through DNA testing and reform the criminal justice system. Distinct from the Georgia Innocence Project. - Jacksonville Sheriff's Office [organization]: Florida sheriff's office that stopped using field drug tests entirely in September 2024 after discovering multiple OTC cold medications triggered false cocaine positives (aka: Duval County Sheriff's Office) - Jared Polis [person]: Governor of Colorado who signed HB 26-1020 and HB 25-1183 (aka: Governor Polis) - Ju'zema Goldring [person]: Atlanta, GA man who spent nearly 6 months in Fulton County Jail after stress ball sand tested positive for cocaine in October 2015 - Kena'z Edwards [person]: Jacksonville, FL man held on $178,000 bond for over 3 months after lidocaine tested positive for cocaine - Kim Murga [person]: LVMPD crime lab director who wanted to abandon field drug test kits since 2010 - Korey Wise Innocence Project [organization]: Colorado innocence organization that advocated for HB 26-1020 - Massachusetts Department of Correction [organization]: Massachusetts state corrections agency defendant in Green v. Massachusetts DOC class-action over false-positive drug tests on prison mail (aka: Massachusetts DOC) - Monroe County [facility]: Georgia county where Dasha Fincher was jailed for 94 days after cotton candy tested positive for methamphetamine (aka: Monroe County, Georgia) - National Registry of Exonerations [organization]: National database documenting exonerations in the United States since 1989. Has documented over 3,646 exonerations as of 2024. (aka: NRE) - Nebraska LB 519 [legislation]: Nebraska law allowing prison inmates to request confirmatory retesting before disciplinary action for positive field drug test results (aka: LB 519) - New York State Inspector General [organization]: State oversight body that found 2,000 inmates wrongly punished based on unverified field test results in New York - Noah Stout [person]: Attorney who represented Holly Bennett and served on the Colorado state task force studying field drug tests - North Carolina HB 868 [legislation]: North Carolina bill on field drug test due process, introduced April 2025, stalled in committee (aka: HB 868, Due Process in LEO Field Drug Testing) - NYC Department of Investigation [organization]: NYC agency that investigated field drug test efficacy in city jails, finding 85% average false-positive rate for fentanyl tests (aka: NYC DOI, DOI) - Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice [organization]: Research center at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School that published the first comprehensive analysis of presumptive field drug testing in January 2024 (aka: Quattrone Center, Penn Quattrone Center) - Reason Foundation [organization]: Libertarian think tank that advocated for Colorado HB 26-1020 - Roadside Drug Test Innocence Alliance [organization]: Organization advocating for reform of field drug test use in criminal proceedings; supported Colorado HB 26-1020 and California SB 912 - Ross Lebeau [person]: Harris County, TX man arrested after kitty litter tested positive for methamphetamine in a field drug test - Savannah Police Department [organization]: Georgia police department whose 2017 internal audit found a 21.4% field drug test error rate (9 of 42 cases) (aka: Savannah PD) - Scott Wiener [person]: California state senator (D-San Francisco) who authored SB 912, the ROAD Testing Act (aka: Senator Scott Wiener) - Shai Werts [person]: Georgia Southern University quarterback arrested in July 2019 after bird droppings on his car tested positive for cocaine in a field drug test - Sirchie [organization]: Manufacturer of NARK II colorimetric field drug test kits, which produced a 91% false-positive rate in NYC DOI testing - Southern Center for Human Rights [organization]: Legal advocacy organization that investigated food conditions at Gordon County Jail and sent a formal letter to Sheriff Mitch Ralston in October 2014. (aka: SCHR) - Tilman Self III [person]: Federal judge who dismissed Fincher's lawsuit on sovereign immunity grounds while acknowledging she should never have been jailed (aka: Judge Tilman Self III) - U.S. Department of Justice [organization]: Federal agency that published October 2024 findings report on unconstitutional conditions in Georgia prisons. (aka: DOJ) - Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act [legislation]: Georgia law signed May 14, 2025 by Governor Kemp, establishing $75,000 per year of wrongful incarceration plus $25,000 per year on death row. Part of SB 244. (aka: SB 244 (compensation provision)) SOURCES (22) ---------------------------------------- - ALEC Colorimetric Presumptive Field Drug Test Limitations Act, January 2026, American Legislative Exchange Council (2026-01-06) [official_report, primary] URL: https://alec.org/model-policy/colorimetric-presumptive-field-drug-test-limitations-act/ - Busted, ProPublica/New York Times Magazine, July 2016, ProPublica / New York Times Magazine by Ryan Gabrielson, Topher Sanders (2016-07-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.propublica.org/article/common-roadside-drug-test-routinely-produces-false-positives - California SB 912 bill text and legislative history, California Legislature by Senator Scott Wiener (2024-01-01) [legislation, primary] URL: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB912 - Collins v. State, 278 Ga. App. 103, 628 S.E.2d 148 (2006), Georgia Court of Appeals (2006-01-01) [legal_document, primary] URL: https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=collins+v+state+278+ga+app+103 - Colorado General Assembly HB 26-1020 bill text and fiscal note, Colorado General Assembly (2026-01-01) [legislation, primary] URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb26-1020 - Colorado HB 25-1183 bill text (working group creation), Colorado General Assembly (2025-01-01) [legislation, primary] URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb25-1183 - Exposed: roadside drug tests are unreliable, cheap and manufactured overseas, Fox 5 Atlanta I-Team, 2018, FOX 5 Atlanta by FOX 5 I-Team (2018-01-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/exposed-roadside-drug-tests-are-unreliable-cheap-and-manufactured-overseas - Fincher v. Monroe County et al., U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia [legal_document, primary] URL: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/fincher-v-monroe-county/ - Fortune v. State, 304 Ga. App. 121 (2010), Georgia Court of Appeals (2010-01-01) [legal_document, primary] URL: https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=fortune+v+state+304+ga+app+121 - FOX 5 Atlanta, Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police survey, 2024, FOX 5 Atlanta (2024-01-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-police-roadside-drug-tests-survey-2024 - GBI Division of Forensic Sciences Annual Reports, 2019-2024, Georgia Bureau of Investigation [official_report, primary] URL: https://gbi.georgia.gov/services/forensic-sciences - GPS Analysis: Colorado's landmark drug test law and what it means for Georgia, Georgia Prisoners' Speak (2026-01-01) [gps_original, secondary] - Green v. Massachusetts Department of Correction, Suffolk County Superior Court, 2021, Suffolk County Superior Court (2021-01-01) [legal_document, primary] URL: https://www.aclum.org/en/cases/green-v-massachusetts-department-correction - How a great-grandmother's false cocaine charge sparked a new Colorado law, CNN, April 5, 2026, CNN (2026-04-05) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/05/us/colorado-field-drug-test-law - Investigation into Use and Efficacy of Colorimetric Drug Tests in City Jails, NYC Department of Investigation, November 2024, NYC Department of Investigation by Jocelyn E. Strauber, Marissa Carro (2024-11-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doi/reports/pdf/2024/DOIReport-ColorimetricDrugTests-Nov2024.pdf - National Registry of Exonerations, University of Michigan, University of Michigan Law School [data_portal, primary] URL: https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/about.aspx - NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence, Landscape Study of Field Portable Devices for Presumptive Drug Testing, 2018, NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (2018-01-01) [official_report, primary] URL: https://forensiccoe.org/private/noauth/download/document/c9a7ecf5-9e0e-4c50-8f2e-e62f2c5f2c61 - North Carolina HB 868 bill text, North Carolina General Assembly by Representatives Rubin and Chesser (2025-04-01) [legislation, primary] URL: https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/HB868 - Polis signs bill aimed at curbing false arrests from field drug tests, Colorado Sun, April 2026, Colorado Sun (2026-04-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/05/field-drug-test-colorado-law/ - Presumptive Field Drug Testing: A Comprehensive Analysis, Quattrone Center, January 2024, Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School by Ross Miller, Paul Heaton, Tricia Rojo Bushnell (2024-01-01) [academic, primary] URL: https://www.law.upenn.edu/institutes/quattronecenter/field-drug-testing/ - Unfounded, ProPublica, October 2016, ProPublica by Ryan Gabrielson (2016-10-01) [journalism, secondary] URL: https://www.propublica.org/article/we-found-the-exposed-the-roadside-drug-test-fallout - Winstock et al., Ecstasy pill testing: harm minimization gone too far?, Pharmacotherapy, 2003, Pharmacotherapy by Winstock et al. (2003-01-01) [academic, primary] URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12921250/