DNA

Source: blogs.wsj.com --- 1 hour ago
On its face, the establishment of a national DNA database sounds rather terrifying and Orwellian. We can’t imagine that the majority of Americans, privacy obsessed as we are, would willingly consent to such an idea — and gleefully skip on down to the DMV to give a cheek swab. Nevertheless, it appears to be an idea on the ascent. According to an opinion piece in Monday’s NYT by Yale Law student Michael Seringhaus, President Obama, in an appearance on “America’s Most Wanted,” appeared to agree that, in Seringhaus’s words, “there should be a national DNA database with profiles of every person arrested, whether convicted or not.” Seringhaus largely agrees. His argument is mostly based on the premise that coughing up a DNA sample is no more invasive to our privacy than a simple fingerprint. The sample provides no information other than, well, a unique identifier, like a PIN code. At the same, time, opines Seringhaus, the potential benefit to law-enforcement is significant: DNA samples collected from crime scenes are compared against a standing database of profiles, and matches are investigated. Obviously, the more individuals profiled in the database, the more likely a crime-scene sample can be identified, hence the president’s enthusiasm to expand the nationwide repository. Several states reportedly have taken to a technique called “familial DNA search,” which enables police to search for partial DNA matches and often provides them valu ...

Source: scottystarnes.wordpress.com --- 5 hours ago
"Its just a charter of negative liberties." Obama, the constitutional-illiterate pretender-in-chief, approves of DNA testing of Americans upon arrest. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? What happened to the 4th amendment that protects Americans from unreasonable search and seizures? You would think a “constitutional law professor” would know the U.S. Constitution front to back. Obama believes anyone arrested should be forced to give up their DNA absent of charges or convictions. This includes misdemeanor charges as well. This is unconstitutional and a slippery slope situation. Politico reports: President Barack Obama’s embrace of a national database to store the DNA of people arrested but not necessarily convicted of a crime is heartening to backers of the policy but disappointing to criminal-justice reformers, who view it as an invasion of privacy. Others also worry the practice would adversely affect minorities. In an interview aired Saturday on “America’s Most Wanted,” Obama expressed strong agreement as host John Walsh extolled the virtues of collecting DNA at the time of an arrest and putting it into a single, national database. “We have 18 states who are taking DNA upon arrest,” Walsh said. “It’s no different than fingerprinting or a booking photo. … Since those states have been doing it, it has cleared 200 people that are innocent from jail.” “It’s the right thing to do,” Obama replied. “This is where the national ...

Source: smithforensic.blogspot.com --- 8 hours ago
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BACKGROUND: Seventeen years ago, Taylor was convicted of the September, 1991 murder of Raleigh prostitute Jacquetta Thomas, 26, whose body was found dumped on South Blount Street in Raleigh. Taylor, 47, said he spent the night of September 25, 1991 drinking and doing drugs with friends while he drove around southeast Raleigh to buy crack cocaine. Taylor said he believed police latched on to him for the murder because he and a friend drove along a dirt path off the same cul-de-sac where Thomas's body was found. Taylor and the friend smoked crack, but his SUV got stuck as they tried to drive away. They abandoned the SUV and walked to a nearby street to get a ride. Taylor testified they saw what they thought was a body but didn't report it to police. When Taylor returned in the morning to get the SUV, the police were already there. During several days of testimony, a parade of witnesses poked holes in the original evidence against Taylor. A SBI agent testified that while initial tests on some items from Taylor's sport utility vehicle were positive for blood, follow-up tests were negative. Those negative tests were not revealed to the jury that convicted Taylor. A dog training expert testified that the bloodhound that investigators said found the scent of the victim on Taylor's SUV was not trained in scent identification. A jailhouse snitch who said that Tayl ...