Issues with Wisconsin’s crime labs have set the stage for the issue to become a focal point of the 2026 Attorney General campaign after a newly released report by the Department of Justice found significantly increased turnaround times in the state’s crime labs.
The report found that while the total number of cases reviewed decreased from 9,388 cases to 8,965 last year, the total wait time for DNA casework significantly increased from 108 days to 129. The wait time for toxicology casework also increased from 64 days to 82.
Attorney General Kaul and his potential Republican opponent have already had a war of words over the issue, with Kaul blaming the legislature while his opponent accused him of trying to ‘pass the buck’.
“We had a significant state surplus in the last budget, but there were zero positions added for the labs,” Kaul said. “That was disappointing to see. And it’s my hope that legislators will instead take a different approach in the future and make the investments we’re requesting in the labs.”
While Kaul did not get the additional 19 positions he requested for forensic labs, the State Building Commission approved an additional $15 million in funding for a new crime lab in Milwaukee this year, a project that will now cost taxpayers a total of $115.4 million.
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney, who declared his candidacy to run for Attorney General in the 2026 election, said that the DOJ report is a failure on the part of Kaul. (RELATED: Evers Appoints John W. Miller to Lead Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.)
“These are real issues that are affecting all 72 counties in Wisconsin,” Toney said. “They’re affecting our law enforcement agencies. They’re affecting our prosecutors. They’re affecting defendants who need these results to be able to make decisions.”
(RELATED: Lawsuit Foists Wisconsin in to National Redistricting Battle)
