Inmate Seeks Release In Wake Of State Drug Lab Scandal

DEDHAM (CBS) - David Danielli is asking to be released from prison.

He wants to set the clock back to before he pleaded guilty to drug charges, because chemist Annie Dookhan handled his case at the Jamaica Plain drug lab.

His daughter, Kristen came to court to see him, explaining, "I've protected my dad's innocence."

Even the prosecutor believes he should be allowed out on bail while the state tries to figure out how to deal with all 34,000 cases Dookhan touched.

Danielli's case was one those problems that first came to light when lab workers became aware of a protocol breach last year in June.

The commissioner's office wasn't made aware of that breach until December. A letter to the DA didn't go out until two months after that in February.

Linda Han, the director of the lab told the DA, "At this time, there is no evidence that this had an impact on the integrity of the samples or the accuracy of the sample analysis."

Letter From DPH To DA: Letter 1 | Letter 2

There was no answer at Han's home today. She resigned.

Danielli wasn't released Friday, because the judge said he must wait to see the judge who accepted his plea. That judge is now in Boston.

When asked to explain to people who say he pled guilty why should be let out, Kristen says, "A lot of innocent people plead guilty. He was making a decision based on what he thought was the best choice."

In contrast to the drug lab's horrific mistakes, there is shared admiration for the way prosecutors are dealing with the problem.

Danielli's attorney John Martin says, "They have all at all times been completely forthcoming to us. They have never hid anything and have been exceptional every step of the way."

Kristen's boyfriend David Scher says, "It's refreshing it instills a lot of faith into the justice system to see something like that."