This article dives into a California Department of Justice audit of urinalysis test kits from Andwin Scientific. Some of these kits didn’t have enough sodium fluoride to keep urine samples preserved.
The findings might sway some DUI prosecutions. Still, the audit found the issue was limited to certain jurisdictions.
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Here in Marin County, folks may be asking how this mess impacts wine/best-wineries-in-marin-county/”>local law enforcement. What about ongoing forensic testing in places like San Rafael, Novato, or Mill Valley?
What happened with the Andwin urinalysis kits
Over ten years ago, Andwin Scientific sent urine test kits to the California DOJ. These were for agencies without their own forensic labs for alcohol testing.
Last summer, state officials found out that many kits lacked the right amount of sodium fluoride. That’s the stuff that stops urine from fermenting.
Without enough fluoride, urine with a lot of sugar could ferment. That might create alcohol and mess with test results, sometimes even causing false positives.
The DOJ checked criminal cases and saw that only a tiny slice—0.07% of alcohol analyses statewide—used these faulty kits and needed a second look. The audit flagged 97 tests that were close to or above the 0.04% blood-alcohol equivalent threshold, which was the cutoff for deeper review.
State lab director Katina Repp said fermentation would only really matter if a bunch of things lined up. You’d need high sugar in the urine (like with diabetes) and a yeast infection. So, false positives from this are pretty unlikely.
Counties with their own labs—Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange—didn’t get stuck with these bad kits. The audit highlights how important it is to keep preservation and verification tight in DUI cases, especially where agencies don’t have their own labs.
Context in Sonoma County and how prosecutors responded
In Sonoma County, DUI prosecutions go through both city police and the county DA’s office. Investigators flagged six cases for closer review since 2016.
Prosecutors decided that other evidence—behavior, breath tests, witnesses—made more action unnecessary in those cases. Three other flagged cases involved samples that weren’t even from the defendants, which shows how much chain-of-custody matters.
- 0.07% of statewide alcohol analyses affected
- 97 tests flagged near 0.04% BAC threshold
- Andwin corrected the test kits; DOJ alerted roughly 60 law enforcement agencies and seven district attorneys’ offices
- Large counties with their own labs were not affected (e.g., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange)
Implications for Marin County and local law enforcement
For Marin agencies—from San Rafael to the coast and up to Fairfax—the audit’s narrow scope is probably a relief. Still, this whole thing reminds us that forensic reliability hangs on every step: preservation, sample handling, testing, and how results get interpreted.
In Novato, Mill Valley, Marinwood, or Tam Valley, prosecutors and police will want to check any old DUI cases that might have used these questionable kits. They’ll need to make sure all the evidence holds up.
Marin agencies should keep in touch with the DOJ and follow any new guidance as they revisit possible affected cases. Andwin fixed the kits, which is good, but the bigger takeaway? We’ve got to keep quality controls tight in forensic work—especially in a county known for its wine, waterfronts, and busy towns along Highway 101 and the Ross Valley.
What happens next and how communities can stay informed
The DOJ has alerted about 60 law enforcement agencies and seven district attorneys’ offices regarding the findings and the need to reassess potentially affected cases. Marin County’s own labs and departments may have avoided direct impact, but this situation really shines a light on the need for transparency and vigilance in the criminal justice process.
Officials urge departments to check sample integrity and review related evidence. They also stress the importance of communicating openly with the public whenever forensic results might affect criminal cases.
If you’re in Sausalito, Larkspur, Corte Madera, or any Marin town, expect local agencies to brief staff and go over records as needed. It’s all about maintaining public trust in how DUIs get handled in our part of the Bay Area.
Here is the source article for this story: California used faulty DUI tests for nearly 10 years, state Justice Department says
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