FBI restores Conn. crime lab's access to database

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The FBI has restored a Connecticut crime lab's access to national DNA databanks.

The forensic laboratory in Meriden has been struggling with a huge case backload and other problems identified in U.S. Justice Department audits, but it won back its professional accreditation earlier this week.

The FBI's decision Friday was announced by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who said it concludes a "difficult chapter" for the crime lab. He said work is still under way to return Connecticut's lab to the status it once had as a national model.

Access to the national databanks allows forensic experts to compare DNA samples with evidence found at crime scenes in other states. State officials applied to have their access restored after the lab was granted its accreditation on Tuesday.