Before the government can properly convict a defendant of possessing a controlled substance, it has the burden of proving what the substance is.  To do that, law enforcement relies on scientific testing.  In a typical drug possession case, any substance law enforcement believes to be illegal is field tested, then sent into the Missouri State Highway Patrol lab for additional scientific testing.  Usually, field testing procedures are used for probable cause purposes only.  Field tests aren’t as reliable as lab testing, so samples of seized substances are tested after arrest, but before trial.  Most often, we encounter testing using GC-MS, which is shorthand for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry – and it’s as complicated as it sounds.  We study the testing procedures and methods used by law enforcement to determine the presence of illegal substances in a sample, and as a result, we can review the testing procedures to find flaws or inconsistencies in the results.  You have the constitutional right to confront any evidence or witness against you in a case, so in some cases experts are used to controvert the state’s lab testing evidence.  Let us help you determine if there are potential problems with the testing procedures or lab results in your drug case.  Don’t settle for anything less!