Austin will fund the legal review of criminal cases where DNA evidence analyzed by the Austin Police Department led to convictions, as well as litigation services for those defendants, after the Austin City Council made another effort Thursday to resolve the issues caused by the Austin Police Department’s shutdown forensics lab and its lingering backlog of DNA and sexual assault test kits.

APD's forensics lab was shut down in May 2016 after it was cited in an audit by the Texas Forensic Sciences Commission for outdated equipment and untrained staff. The issue was further exacerbated after it was reported the police department had a backlog of thousands of untested DNA and rape kits, with more cases coming each month.

Nearly a year later, the city is still searching for a solution. On Thursday, council authorized four contracts for expert consultants to examine what went wrong in the lab, how to move forward, assistance in operating the shutdown forensics lab and clearing the backlog.

One of the contracts with Capital Area Private Defenders Services will have the city and Travis County fund a review of criminal cases where DNA evidence processed by APD’s forensics lab led to convictions. Capital Area Private Defenders Services will also provide litigation services for defendants who were convicted of a crime.

Also approved was a $3.9 million contract with the Crime Laboratory Service of the Texas Department of Public Safety for the state agency to take over operation of APD’s forensics lab. All work on APD's DNA casework will be overseen by the state public safety agency and performed according to state standards and procedure. According to city documents, monthly updates on the size of the backlog.

“As APD is able to take advantage of the additional DNA casework capacity available to it through this agreement and others, it will provide monthly updates on the size of the DNA evidence backlog,” the document says. “In addition, it is envisioned that this DPS lab capability will serve as the kernel for the future DNA analysis services being researched and recommended by a consultant under separate agreement.”

Another $1.3 million contract was executed with the Virginia-based Bode Cellmark Forensics Inc. to test APD’s sexual assault kits. According to city documents, the private company is expected to test approximately 1,300 cases for the department.