It seems some attention is being directed to this gross injustice. But, most likely, at huge expense since it's not the government's own labs doing the work, but a bunch of it is being done at commercial labs.

Even still, according the report linked to below, "at the current pace of testing, the LAPD would erase the backlog by the summer of 2011, Bratton and Beck wrote." So imagine being a rape victim and being told you still had to wait two years for evidence of your rape to be examined.

Since they've begun to clear up the enormous backlog, they've made some progress, "the LAPD’s push to clear the backlog has led to tangible payoffs: Examination of previously untested semen, blood or other genetic evidence matched the profiles of 405 men in the state’s databases."

Joel Rubin, author of the article notes, "The LAPD’s ability to finish the effort is also not assured. In the letter, Bratton and Beck warned that city officials will need to continue to commit funds to keep the testing on track – a tall order as the city tries to navigate through a fiscal crisis that has left a $400-million budget shortfall."

Gee, I wonder how they could get around that $400-million budget shortfall? END THIS EVIL AND MISGUIDED DRUG PROHIBITION!

LAPD cuts backlog of untested DNA cases in half

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/lapd-cuts-backlog-of-untested-dna-cases-in-half-.html