GOLDEN - A Jefferson County judge sentenced former Colorado Bureau of Investigation scientist Yvonne  Missy  Woods to 10 years in prison Tuesday for her role in a years-long DNA testing scandal that shook confidence in the state's criminal justice system.

 At its core, this case is about trust - the extraordinary trust placed in Ms. Woods, and her breach of that trust,  District Judge Andrew Poland said as he imposed the sentence.

Woods mishandled at least 1,045 criminal cases during her 29-year career as a DNA analyst at the CBI. She deleted, omitted and manipulated data to speed up the DNA testing process and boost her productivity, creating unreliable results in hundreds of criminal cases.

 I know an apology cannot undo the harm or restore the trust that was lost,  Woods said during Tuesday's sentencing in Jefferson County District Court.  For many years I was entrusted with evidence that could have profound consequences for defendants, victims, families and the courts. I failed that responsibility. I am deeply sorry for that failure. 

Woods could have faced between eight and 16 years in prison under the terms of her plea agreement. The 66-year-old former analyst pleaded guilty to four felonies in June, admitting to committing a cybercrime, perjury, attempting to influence a public servant and forgery. About 100 other counts against her were dismissed as part of the agreement.

Woods' defense attorney, Tom Ward, sought the minimum eight-year prison sentence, arguing that she took responsibility for her crimes and cooperated with investigators. He said Woods' misconduct was clustered in a few years later in her career during which her caseload had doubled.

 The things she did in this case are serious and they merit punishment,  he said,  …but they do not erase all of the good things she did. 

Chief Deputy District Attorney Darren Kafka asked the judge to impose a sentence that would start to restore trust in Colorado's criminal justice system by strongly condemning Woods' crimes.

 Can we trust our criminal justice system?  he asked.  Or even to some, can we trust science? Sowing 

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