Alcohol and Drug Chemistry Expert

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Bethany has worked in the forensic science industry since 2005. She provides expert witness testimony and consultation for criminal and civil matters involving, but not limited to, DUI, seized drugs, cannabis, forensic testing practices, laboratory management, quality assurance standards, and reliability of testing methods. Early in her career, she had the opportunity to open a new regional forensic science laboratory in southeastern NC. She began an 11 year journey and gained a career’s worth of experience as a laboratory director, quality assurance manager, laboratory scientist, grant writer and manager. She has written and reviewed hundreds of administrative and technical policies, procedures, and training programs, and has analyzed and provided final review of thousands of biological and seized drug samples. She is a lead and technical assessor for ISO 17025:2017 and performs assessments in the areas of quality management, toxicology, and seized drugs testing for ANAB and A2LA. In addition to her consultation/expert witness work, she currently serves as the Quality Assurance Manager for PinPoint Testing, LLC in Little Rock, AR, which is a clinical and forensic toxicology testing laboratory and manufacturing company. She maintains membership in the following organizations: American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD), Association of Forensic Quality Assurance Managers (AFQAM), International Association for Chemical Testing (IACT), and Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) International. She served two terms as a Board Member of the North Carolina Forensic Science Advisory Board by appointment of the former NC Attorney Generals and Governors, Roy Cooper and Josh Stein. During her tenure, she served on the Toxicology Review Committee and the Controlled Substances Review Committee as both a member and chair. In addition to laboratory experience, she has experience in studying the metabolism of alcohol/drugs in the body, impairments due to alcohol and/or other drugs, impaired driving patterns and behaviors, and driving impairment investigations. She spent more than 150 hours in the field participating in active DUI investigations. She has completed California POST certified courses in DUI detection and investigation and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing. She continues to study and keep up to date on factors that affect driving performance, such as, legal and illicit impairing substances, sleep/fatigue, and distractions. She continuously expands her work to stay up to date on studies involving the pharmacology of impairing substances, how different medical issues may affect the results of toxicological testing, and issues that have arisen within and due to the growing cannabis industry. She is extremely passionate about truth and justice and has learned that the legal system is not always fair. She has a strong desire to see people held accountable to high standards for their work when it affects the lives and freedom of others. She maintains high integrity in her work and interactions. She became very interested in the growing cannabis industry while working in the forensics world. She believes the cannabis testing industry has a lot to learn from the forensic science industry about how to self-regulate in a world where you are not regulated. She believes in the benefits of cannabis to individuals and the economy and strives to be a source of knowledge to ensure that products on the market are legal, high-quality, stringently tested, and safe.