SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - The New Mexico Supreme Court has ruled the Department of Public Safety has authority to move the state's DNA crime lab from Albuquerque to the agency's headquarters in Santa Fe.
Public Safety Secretary John Denko says the move would save about $400,000 a year and cut down processing time for DNA samples. He says the agency's technicians would be able to process samples and upload them to a national database in one week.
Opponents include the attorney general's office, Albuquerque police and Gov.-elect Susana Martinez. They argue the move is politically motivated.
Denko's tenure ends this week. He says the FBI will move the lab to Santa Fe by the end of the week.
Martinez says she will move the lab back to Albuquerque after she takes office Jan. 1.
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Information from: KOB-TV
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