Orange County plans how to fund clearing a backlog of 1,500 untested rape kits

Using federal grant money and possibly some county dollars designated for crime fighting, Orange County officials hope to get about 1,500 sexual assault evidence kits tested and processed within about a year.
District Attorney Todd Spitzer will ask supervisors on Feb. 11 to approve a $612,671 contract with a third-party forensics firm to test the rape kits, the oldest of which has languished for more than 40 years. He’s working with Supervisor Don Wagner to ensure enough funding is availab