AG: $30K to be transferred to KSP to help end rape kit backlog

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – On Monday, Attorney General Andy Beshear announced that his office will transfer $30,000 to the Kentucky State Police Crime Lab to help end the state’s rape kit backlog.

The money comes from interest accumulated from the state’s multimillion-dollar Risperdal settlement. The Attorney General’s office alleged Johnson & Johnson dishonestly marketed its drug Risperdal to patients and the medical community in Kentucky.

In order to maximize the use of the settlement funds, Beshear’s office placed the money in interest-bearing accounts.

“I am committed to securing justice for every victim whose kit has not been tested,” Beshear said. “Through good fiscal management, our transfer will test more kits and speed up that justice.”

The $30,000, which would cover the cost of testing nearly 50 kits, is the first payment to KSP from the interest on the settlement funds. Beshear expects to give KSP additional payments.