The private company that runs Hamilton County's Silverdale Detention Center is investigating allegations that one of its employees lied on the stand during a high-profile murder trial last year.

Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America, however, declined to comment about the future of Christina Young, a gang investigator who has testified numerous times about gang activity and culture.

"We're in the process of gathering more information," CCA spokesman Steve Owen said Monday, adding that there is currently "no change" in Ms. Young's employment status. "We're looking into the matter and want to be accurate and thorough before any action is made."

Ms. Young's mobile phone number has been deactivated, and voice mail at her work no longer is assigned to her. Attempts Tuesday to reach Ms. Young were unsuccessful.

Defense attorney Jesse Dalton last week accused Ms. Young in court documents of lying about her credentials on the stand during a murder trial that focused heavily on gang activity and in which she testified as a gang "expert."

According to trial transcripts, Ms. Young said during the May 2008 court proceeding in which two young men were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison that she had an associate degree in criminal justice. She testified in a separate murder trial just weeks later that she had to leave the Cleveland State Community College program because of a "high-risk pregnancy" and never completed the degree.

Mr. Dalton last week said that had Ms. Young not "flat-out lied" about her credentials, she probably still would have been certified as a gang expert by the judge and her credibility unquestioned during the appeals process. Ms. Young's on-the-job training in gang culture is not in dispute.

But Mr. Dalton pointed to the expectation that law enforcement officials especially are to be truthful about everything when testifying under oath. When they are not, Mr. Dalton said, all the testimony of that officer can be put in question and invariably cast doubt on a case.

"(Ms. Young) has established that she is more than willing to perjure herself in a first-degree murder trial for the sake of being declared an expert," Mr. Dalton stated in court documents. "As such, her entire testimony should have no credibility."

Perjury is a criminal offense. Neal Pinkston, Hamilton County assistant district attorney, said he is looking into the issue and does not yet know how the D.A.'s office will proceed.

Ms. Young is expected to testify at an Aug. 3 hearing in which Mr. Dalton and a second defense attorney, John McDougal, will petition the court for a new trial for their clients. They are expected to question Ms. Young about her testimony and cite other factors that they say tainted the proceeding.