SEATTLE (AP) — More than a year after a panel of judges found the state’s toxicology lab engaged in “fraudulent and scientifically unacceptable” practices that compromised the prosecution of drunken-driving suspects, the State Patrol has announced new lab accreditation aimed at restoring confidence in the process.

The State Patrol said Tuesday the Washington State Toxicology Lab recently earned accreditation from the American Society of Crime Lab Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board.

The lab sought the accreditation as part of an effort to restore confidence in alcohol breath-test results after the panel of King County District Court judges issued a blistering 29-page report that said the lab had so many “ethical lapses, systemic inaccuracy, negligence and violations of scientific principles” that the breath tests should not be used as evidence in pending DUI cases.

Among 150 problems cited by the panel was the former lab manager’s practice of signing off on tests she had not analyzed, the inaccuracy of chemical solutions used to verify breath tests and problems with the software used to analyze data.

The judges’ findings directly affected eight drunken-driving cases after several King County District Court judges said the contested test results were not admissible in courts. In addition, several judges in Snohomish and Skagit counties had previously ruled the state lab results inadmissible.

Prosecutors said after last year’s ruling that they would continue to prosecute drunken-driving cases using other evidence, such as officer reports and the results of field sobriety tests.

Dr. Fiona Couper, the state toxicologist and toxicology laboratory division commander, said the judges’ panel had indicated last year that an outside review process would help the lab regain legal viability.

The State Patrol will now present evidence of accreditation to prosecutors in those jurisdictions where courts have declined to allow breath-test results. If prosecutors agree that accreditation is new information for judges to consider, they could begin asking to introduce breath-test results at any time.