Supreme Court OKs DNA swab upon arrests

[BoberFett]

Because of shows like CSI people believe DNA evidence is absolute. Do a little reading on DNA reliability as evidence. This should scare people shitless.

 

[Nintendesert]

IF it was that simple, I'd be more inclined to agree with the ruling. The thing is, many places have so many crap laws on the books that allows any cop to "arrest" anyone on a drummed up charge. Ask any cop. They all know it can be done. Doesn't matter if the charge being initially brought is tossed out. Although I would think that "fishing" in this sort should not be allowed. While I'm all for catching criminals, this kind of decision opens the door for more innocents to wrongfully accused.

I'm looking forward to the ruling that allows them to swab at random DUI checkpoints. Coming to a neighborhood near you! :thumbsup:

 

[Zorkorist]

This is obviously the result of a left leaning Supreme Court.

The same Supreme Court that passed Obama Care, by calling it a tax.

So, each of you that like your DNA taken, keep voting Left.

Because they will take it, and analyze it, and make policy because of it.

"Papers, please."

"DNA, please."

-John

 

[bshole]

Because of shows like CSI people believe DNA evidence is absolute. Do a little reading on DNA reliability as evidence. This should scare people shitless.

Tell that to the hundreds of people freed from prison due to DNA evidence. There have been people on death row or life sentences whom were freed because of DNA. Cold cases that were decades old have been solved due to DNA.

I suppose if you had been on the OJ jury, you would have found him innocent. All the blood in his vehicle that was DNA matched to him and Nicole would mean nothing.

 

[Oldgamer]

Well if they are going to do this, they might as well just start demanding every single citizen of the US conform and submit their DNA to a National Database. Our society now seems to be going toward that, and soon we will have something not unlike that movie Gattaca where it will be used for more than just "looking to see who has committed a crime". This will be abused, and there is no way they can keep peoples DNA results a secret in todays Tech world.

It is disturbing that they ruled in favor of this.. but I guess we just have to deal with, huh?

 

[BoberFett]

Tell that to the hundreds of people freed from prison due to DNA evidence. There have been people on death row or life sentences whom were freed because of DNA. Cold cases that were decades old have been solved due to DNA.

I suppose if you had been on the OJ jury, you would have found him innocent. All the blood in his vehicle that was DNA matched to him and Nicole would mean nothing.

And what's the false positive rate?

 

[Linux23]

They'll take my DNA over my dead corpse.

 

[JACKHAMMER]

And what's the false positive rate?

In addition, don't forget that DNA shows familial relationships. So what happens if a suspect is booked, DNA tested, and comes up with a match that is a direct relation to said individual (Sibling, cousin, etc.)for an unsolved crime. What do the police do then? Is that PC enough to compel DNA swabs for an entire family.

I think people forget just how telling DNA can be. I know it's just 13 cuts at this point, but at the rate gene chips rare advancing they'll be able to get your entire genome for cheap in the future.

 

[RampantAndroid]

Point of clarification: the cops need probable cause to arrest you to begin with. So they can't take this DNA test as part of a booking procedure without first having probable cause for the arrest. What this ruling says is that they don't need PC for the test itself after they already had PC to arrest you. They can't just go randomly taking DNA off people.

Don't they auto-fingerprint you when you're arrested anyway? This just seems like an evolution of fingerprinting.

 

[JACKHAMMER]

This just seems like an evolution of fingerprinting.

This could potentially be so much more.

 

[Nintendesert]

In addition, don't forget that DNA shows familial relationships. So what happens if a suspect is booked, DNA tested, and comes up with a match that is a direct relation to said individual (Sibling, cousin, etc.)for an unsolved crime. What do the police do then? Is that PC enough to compel DNA swabs for an entire family.

I think people forget just how telling DNA can be. I know it's just 13 cuts at this point, but at the rate gene chips rare advancing they'll be able to get your entire genome for cheap in the future.

Very true. With the track record the government has in safeguarding personal information (abysmal if you research it) what kinds of problems will we be seeing when a quick DNA swab will tell employers and officials what diseases you're predisposed to, if you've got the criminal gene, what about if you're gay?

This information will be leaked, it will be divulged. We're already seeing what the government with the IRS is doing with financial records and how that's going. What happens then when everyone gets DNA fingerprinted and you're now deemed too risky to employ or insure or everyone you know gets told you're gay?

Fingerprinting can't tell us those things, it can't be used to discriminate. DNA can be and the threshold for taking DNA should be held to a higher standard than a common fingerprint.

 

[RampantAndroid]

This could potentially be so much more.

Care to elaborate?'

This is something that happens if you're arrested. I'm one of the first to say F da police and all that...but I've never been arrested...

 

[piasabird]

I spent about 3 or 4 days in a hospital and it cost my ins company like $7,500.00, so a $30 DNA kit is like chump change.

 

[piasabird]

DNA evidence can also free people in prison.

 

[bradly1101]

1984!!!

 

[bradly1101]

I swear; with a well medicated society being this well observed, it's like Orwell's novel.

 

[RampantAndroid]

I swear; with a well medicated society being this well observed, it's like Orwell's novel.

So you've said. However, you haven't said why getting the DNA of someone who was arrested is bad. If the complaint is that cops arrested you without probable cause, let's fix that. Otherwise, I'm 100% in favor of getting the DNA of people who have done something to be arrested.

This isn't 1984. This is 2013 where getting a DNA swab of some gang member who was just arrested and running it against a database of DNA samples from crime scenes can solve a murder. That's something to celebrate, not admonish society for.

 

[BoberFett]

Whoops.

Man wrongly convicted after a DNA mix-up awarded $1.5 million