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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Houston Forensic Science Center Board Meeting - September 11, 2026

Committees and Commissions — Friday, September 11, 2026

BodyHouston, Texas

SessionCommittees and Commissions

DateFriday, September 11, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:12:26

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:20

We have a quorum.

0:23

I can call the meeting to order, Madam Secretary.

0:26

Would you please call the roll?

0:29

Yes, Madam Chair.

0:30

I will begin the roll call now.

0:32

Chair Woman Cohen.

0:33

Here.

0:34

Vice Chair Baird.

0:36

Director Vacez?

0:37

Here.

0:38

Director Durfee?

0:39

Here.

0:39

Director Trica?

0:41

Here.

0:41

Director Corrales.

0:43

Director Hugh?

0:44

Here.

0:45

Director Mazha.

0:46

Director Huff?

0:48

Here.

0:48

Director Glush.

0:50

Here.

0:51

And that concludes the roll call.

0:52

Madam Chair, we do have a quorum.

0:55

Thank you.

0:55

Thank you very much.

0:57

Before we go into the agenda, I'd like to take a few moments to recognize the impact of what today is all about.

1:07

I want to take, I want to acknowledge that today is September 11th, and this year marks the 25th anniversary of that horrific attack on American soil.

1:17

Across the country, we are pausing to reflect and remember those who lost their lives, the families who still mourn them, as well as the countless first responders and ordinary residents who stepped up in the days, months, and years to follow.

1:33

Although it is a solemn day, we honor the resilience of the American people in continuing on after such tragedy.

1:42

I encourage everyone to take time to reflect on this day in your own way.

1:47

And I thought I'd just ask you to take a minute of silence.

2:00

Thank you.

2:01

Now I'd like to thank our former board member who is not here today, but he is in spirit, Jed Silverman for his three years of service to the Forensic Science Senator.

2:13

We truly appreciate his insights, contributions, and collegiality during his tenure.

2:19

I wish him well.

2:20

I know we all do, and he will continue making a difference in the Houston community and in the criminal justice system.

2:27

As most of you know, our newly appointed board member is here today, Director Chris Tritico.

2:33

Am I pronouncing it right?

2:35

I've I've given about three or four different pronouncements, but pick one that you like.

2:46

Thank you.

2:47

I appreciate that.

2:49

The director is a well-respected and well-known attorney here in Houston, but he has represented clients across the country in several significant cases.

3:02

His primary practice areas are criminal defense, education law, and personal injury, and he's often called on to provide legal analysis on various news and TV programs.

3:14

I know he will bring a wealth of knowledge to the board, and we are happy to have him, and I welcome him today and ask if he would have a few remarks for us.

3:25

Thank you, uh Chairwoman Cohen and I appreciate uh the uh the opportunity and the honor to serve uh here.

3:34

Um I've spent close to 40 years now representing the criminally accused uh in courtrooms all over the United States, and I was just telling some of my colleagues that when I was asked to uh represent uh Timothy McVay in the Oklahoma City bombing case.

3:54

I was asked when I got there to take on all of the forensics in that case, which was every every aspects of for every aspect of forensic science.

4:05

And it was at the time in our country when the FBI crime lab was imploding in um in scandal, and I had not at that time in my life ever taken chemistry or physics, and so I got a crash course in how to how to build a bomb, how to blow up a bomb, and how to clean a bomb, along with every other aspect of forensic science that you can think of, and then proceeded to spend the entire trial cross-examining every every uh expert that was brought in on the case.

4:44

And then I've spent the rest of my career uh cross-examining uh experts in every case I've had.

4:51

And so I hope that that um that time I've spent brings something here that I can help this board and in this uh with uh with that knowledge, and I'm glad to be here.

5:04

And I'm glad to be here.

5:06

Thank you very much, and we welcome you.

5:12

Lastly, I want to remind the board that we will conduct the annual performance evaluation of Dr.

5:18

Stout during our November 13th board meeting and plan to discuss his contract.

5:24

If at all possible, we'd like to have all members in attendance to provide input during this very important agenda item.

5:34

Ms.

5:34

VZ Haley will be in touch with you as always, but if you know of any conflicts in your schedule, please let her know as soon as possible.

5:45

And with that, I conclude my report.

5:48

At this time, we'll open the floor for public comment and invite any member of the public that wishes to speak to come to the podium and address the board.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Forensic Science█████████████████████████████████████████████68%

Procedural████████12%

Technology and Innovation█████8%

Personnel Matters███5%

Budget███4%

Legal Considerations█2%

Youth Programs█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Houston Forensic Science Center Board Meeting - September 11, 2026

The Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC) Board of Directors met on September 11, 2026, to observe the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, welcome newly appointed board member Chris Tritico, and discuss operational updates, contract approvals, and a detailed presentation on firearms section challenges. The board approved contracts for DNA outsourcing and an interlocal agreement with Metro Police, and was briefed on staff turnover, backlog management, and the introduction of 3D virtual comparison microscopy (VCM) technology.

Public Comments & Testimony

No members of the public signed up to speak. The public comment period was closed.

Discussion Items

Recognition of September 11 and New Board Member: Chairwoman Cohen led a moment of silence in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and acknowledged former board member Jed Silverman. Newly appointed Director Chris Tritico, a defense attorney with experience in forensic science from the Oklahoma City bombing case, was welcomed and offered brief remarks.
Contract with Signature Science for DNA Outsourcing: Dr. Castillo explained that the same contract is being renewed under a new grant source (FY25 federal grant under the biology capacity enhancement and backlog reduction program). The outsourcing, primarily for sexual assault kits, has helped keep turnaround times under 90 days while building internal capacity. A new RFP will be issued in fall 2026.
Interlocal Agreement with Metro Police Department: The agreement allows HFSC to provide forensic services to Metro for a fee, with the ability to decline work if capacity is insufficient. Dr. Castillo clarified that this work previously came through HPD and that HFSC will implement policies to avoid evidence pickup delays. Metro’s board has already approved the agreement.
Operations and Technical Updates (Dr. Castillo):
- Backlogs in forensic biology and seized drugs are declining, but an overtime/incentive program ended in July. Kits remain under 90 days due to outsourcing. Seized drugs expects three new examiners in early 2027.
- Firearms staffing remains critical; a presentation followed (see below).
- Client services/case management has been restructured: records management now reports to legal, evidence management remains under operations.
- HPD’s transition to a new records and evidence management system (live date October 10, 2026) will impact HFSC’s systems, requiring IT updates. Item number formats are changing, and HFSC is about 70% ready. October is expected to be a rough month as examiners adjust.
Firearms Section Presentation by Kimberly Zeller (Supervisor) and Melissa Nally (Operations Coordinator):
- Zeller presented the history and current crisis: from 10 examiners in 2010 to backlog elimination in 2015, then turnover and COVID impacts. A 2023 training group saw 80% attrition (4 of 5 left). Current examiner count is critically low, with backlog steady at ~450 requests since July 2025. Two examiners retired, one returned part-time as a 3D technician. Five new trainees will start external training in early 2027; one experienced examiner is expected to join in 4-5 months. By mid-2027, full-time examiner count may increase from 2 to 4, with output equal to 6 examiners, still insufficient to meet demand. Priority court requests dominate capacity. Serial number restoration has been eliminated due to low demand and cost.
- Discussion included challenges of training the younger generation, budget constraints (CFO noted that underfunding leads to larger costs later), industry-wide shortage of firearms examiners, and the “CSI effect.” Internship program receives 50-100 applicants for 6-12 spots.
- Nally presented validation of a new 3D scanning system (Cadre Forensics TopMatch 3D) for virtual comparison microscopy (VCM). Phase 1 (instrument validation) is complete; Phase 2 (examiner competency) is underway. Benefits include remote work, algorithmic match scoring, and reduced time. Challenges include software updates and cleanliness. Board members asked about legal admissibility and comparisons to other digital evidence (e.g., StarMix for DNA).

Key Outcomes

Approved minutes from the July 10, 2026 board meeting by voice vote (all in favor).
Approved contract with Signature Science, LLC for forensic outsourcing services in forensic biology, total budget not to exceed $429,520, by voice vote (all in favor). Dr. Stout to execute.
Approved interlocal agreement between HFSC and Metro Police Department to provide forensic services, by voice vote (all in favor). Dr. Stout to execute.
Noted that annual performance evaluation of Dr. Stout will occur at the November 13, 2026 board meeting; members are urged to attend.

Meeting Transcript

We have a quorum. I can call the meeting to order, Madam Secretary. Would you please call the roll? Yes, Madam Chair. I will begin the roll call now. Chair Woman Cohen. Here. Vice Chair Baird. Director Vacez? Here. Director Durfee? Here. Director Trica? Here. Director Corrales. Director Hugh? Here. Director Mazha. Director Huff? Here. Director Glush. Here. And that concludes the roll call. Madam Chair, we do have a quorum. Thank you. Thank you very much. Before we go into the agenda, I'd like to take a few moments to recognize the impact of what today is all about. I want to take, I want to acknowledge that today is September 11th, and this year marks the 25th anniversary of that horrific attack on American soil. Across the country, we are pausing to reflect and remember those who lost their lives, the families who still mourn them, as well as the countless first responders and ordinary residents who stepped up in the days, months, and years to follow. Although it is a solemn day, we honor the resilience of the American people in continuing on after such tragedy. I encourage everyone to take time to reflect on this day in your own way. And I thought I'd just ask you to take a minute of silence. Thank you. Now I'd like to thank our former board member who is not here today, but he is in spirit, Jed Silverman for his three years of service to the Forensic Science Senator. We truly appreciate his insights, contributions, and collegiality during his tenure. I wish him well. I know we all do, and he will continue making a difference in the Houston community and in the criminal justice system. As most of you know, our newly appointed board member is here today, Director Chris Tritico. Am I pronouncing it right? I've I've given about three or four different pronouncements, but pick one that you like. Thank you. I appreciate that. The director is a well-respected and well-known attorney here in Houston, but he has represented clients across the country in several significant cases. His primary practice areas are criminal defense, education law, and personal injury, and he's often called on to provide legal analysis on various news and TV programs. I know he will bring a wealth of knowledge to the board, and we are happy to have him, and I welcome him today and ask if he would have a few remarks for us. Thank you, uh Chairwoman Cohen and I appreciate uh the uh the opportunity and the honor to serve uh here. Um I've spent close to 40 years now representing the criminally accused uh in courtrooms all over the United States, and I was just telling some of my colleagues that when I was asked to uh represent uh Timothy McVay in the Oklahoma City bombing case. I was asked when I got there to take on all of the forensics in that case, which was every every aspects of for every aspect of forensic science. And it was at the time in our country when the FBI crime lab was imploding in um in scandal, and I had not at that time in my life ever taken chemistry or physics, and so I got a crash course in how to how to build a bomb, how to blow up a bomb, and how to clean a bomb, along with every other aspect of forensic science that you can think of, and then proceeded to spend the entire trial cross-examining every every uh expert that was brought in on the case. And then I've spent the rest of my career uh cross-examining uh experts in every case I've had.

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