HOUSTON – A Harris County toxicologist has been fired after authorities say there were allegations of untruthfulness and dishonesty.
Court records indicate Cassandra Cavazos-Johnson, 36, was fired from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in January for “sustained allegations of untruthfulness, lack of candor, and/or dishonesty,” related to a license renewal application.
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She was a Toxicologist 1 Specialist.
Last Friday, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office notified defendants in 47 pending cases and 1,169 disposed cases and their attorneys that their criminal cases may have been associated with Johnson’s toxicology work and they could have legal options.
The DA’s office says the timeline of cases that may be affected are from 2019 to January of 2025. They also say her work would have been testing primarily for drug cases, DWIs, and cause of death in homicide cases.
KPRC 2 obtained a copy of a letter sent to a unknown defendant in a DWI case that dates back to 2021. The letter was obtained through Harris County court records.
The letter states the DA’s office is legally and ethically prohibited from providing any advice to the defendant regarding potential legal options, but instructs the person to contact their attorney if they have any questions about the letter or wish to discuss any options in their legal case.
The DA’s office told KPRC 2 the analyst may have performed some sort of testing or handled a piece of evidence associated with the case, which doesn’t mean the case will be dismissed as the case may have been accompanied by other evidence, video, confession, or more. In pending cases, the DA’s office said it will be something for the defense attorney to argue.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences released this statement in regards to Cavazos-Johnson’s firing:
“Ms. Cavazos-Johnson, a Toxicologist, was terminated from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences on January 3, 2025, for modifying a document submitted to the Texas Forensic Science Commission related to her license renewal application. We immediately notified the Commission and the District Attorney’s Office of the termination, as required. The incident was not related to her technical abilities or her performance in casework.”
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