SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — A growing evidence backlog within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Crime Lab is causing delays in criminal court cases across Georgia, including Chatham County.
There have been around 43,000 to 48,000 unworked cases, exceeding 30 days, in the past nine months, the GBI Monthly Statistical Report showed. That number peaked in January 2026 at about 48,700 unworked reports. While that number declined in March, attorneys are feeling the impacts.
District Attorney Shalena Jones told WSAV that some attorneys are waiting weeks to months for the evidence they need in court to be tested or processed. Trials could be pushed back by a year in some cases…