WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharply divided Supreme Court on Monday said police can continue to take DNA from people they arrest without getting a warrant. The court’s five-justice majority said DNA testing was a legitimate police arrest procedure, like fingerprinting.
Court: Police can take DNA swabs from arrestees - News Nation Washington - Boston.com
not sure i support this one; there's a lot more info to be gleaned from DNA. thoughts on this decision?
I have no problem with it. I think people's DNA should be taken at birth.
I'm not in the US, but this strikes me as having the potential to abrogate your constitution's defense against self-incrimination. I could understand if it applied to those who were convicted in a court of some crime, as part of their sentence, but how many people in the course of any day are arrested and let go without charges? How many people are rounded up in a protest, to disband a crowd, and then let go? Are these people all going to be swabbed and tested just in case you might strike gold and catch someone?
If I'm reading the decision correctly, it's limited to felony arrests. So unless your hypothetical protestor assaults a cop or shatters a shop window, they won't get swabbed.how many people in the course of any day are arrested and let go without charges? How many people are rounded up in a protest, to disband a crowd, and then let go?
If I'm reading the decision correctly, it's limited to felony arrests. So unless your hypothetical protestor assaults a cop or shatters a shop window, they won't get swabbed.
The police already have pretty good access to your DNA.I think a warrent should be required.
What an incredibly stupid and frustrating decision. It's already legal to take DNA from those who are actually convicted after their arrest. The ONLY people this impacts are those who are arrested, but are not charged and are later released. I.E. those cleared of any wrongdoing. I can't see why you'd support this decision and not want the database to cover the entire population.
I can see them taking the swab, running checks on open cases then destroying the data if nothing comes up. But to just take it because you are charged seems a bit harsh. It's not like there is never a case of someone being wrongly charge for something.
not sure i support this one; there's a lot more info to be gleaned from DNA. thoughts on this decision?
It's interesting how the court split.
There was a story a year or two ago that said 30-40% of the population will have been arrested by the time they're 23.I can see them taking the swab, running checks on open cases then destroying the data if nothing comes up. But to just take it because you are charged seems a bit harsh. It's not like there is never a case of someone being wrongly charge for something.
I'm not in the US, but this strikes me as having the potential to abrogate your constitution's defense against self-incrimination. I could understand if it applied to those who were convicted in a court of some crime, as part of their sentence, but how many people in the course of any day are arrested and let go without charges? How many people are rounded up in a protest, to disband a crowd, and then let go? Are these people all going to be swabbed and tested just in case you might strike gold and catch someone?
So would fingerprints. But, like fingerprints, DNA is physical evidence and is open game when someone is arrested.
It's only accessible, under a warrant, in the furtherance of a specific investigation - not to tag a person for future and/or other crimes committed or to be committed in the future.
Everyone who values personal privacy, innocence until proven guilty, protection against self-incrimination, etc. should be careful about making police work too easy.
By that logic, fingerprints should only be accessible under a warrant. We can't have it both ways, is my point.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?