Posted on 05/06/2022 1:57:51 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York court halted the use of a DNA crimefighting tool that has helped crack cold cases and put murderers behind bars, but has also raised privacy and racial discrimination concerns, because state lawmakers never approved the practice.
Known as familial DNA searching, the technique allows law enforcement agencies to search the state’s DNA databank for close biological relatives of people who have left traces of genetic material at a crime scene.
A panel of judges on a mid-level appeals court ruled Thursday that regulations for the technique were invalid because a state committee implemented them without consent from the Legislature.
Three of the panel’s five members voted to suspend the searches, which were challenged by a group of Black men who worried they could be targeted for investigation because their biological brothers were convicted of crimes and had genetic information stored in the state’s DNA databank.
Judge Judith J. Gische, writing for the majority, noted that familial DNA searching is useful in investigating crimes — including in identifying serial killers in Kansas and California and a recent Bronx cold case arrest — and that the court’s decision to stop the practice was based on concerns about government separation of powers.
The Legal Aid Society, a non-profit organization representing indigent defendants in New York City, sued the state February 2018, arguing that the Division of Criminal Justice Services had no authority to unilaterally expand use of the DNA databank.
The suit raised concerns that innocent people could be ensnared in a criminal investigation “based solely on their genetic kinship with convicted individuals.”
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Although this technology has been used to crack cold cases, I am against this practice. Giving government busy bodies troves of data play with always ends in abuse of power.
IMO when one submits their DNA to a public service like "Ancestry DNA" they have relinquished their ownership rights and anyone,including police,can search it.
That is going to mess with a bunch of TV crime drama plots.
“Although this technology has been used to crack cold cases, I am against this practice. Giving government busy bodies troves of data play with always ends in abuse of power.”
Absolutely correct.
The letters have proven that they cannot be trusted.
“You have zero privacy anyway…Get over it!”
I have never used one his products since then, however I now concede he was correct, much to my dismay
they can search me DNA any time they wish! I have nothing to hide and am glad they are catching murderers who for too long have gotten away with it!
All they will find DNA on in my life is the seat of my couch, my office chair, keyboard, bed, and TV remote ! ;)
“racial discrimination concerns”
Of course. What’s a day without racial discrimination concerns?
“Giving government busy bodies troves of data play with always ends in abuse of power.”
They ALWAYS abuse whatever power they have. They can’t help themselves.
“I am against this practice.”
I’m ok with it ONLY if the databases they’re searching are of convicted criminals. Searching all available databases, including those genealogy records like “23 And Me” ... I’m definitely against that.
Yeah, but the DNA is leading to people who didn’t volunteer a sample.
They check databases and uncover people related to the person who committed the crime, then that dramatically narrows their suspect pool. I can see good and bad in it.
Yes, I’d have no problem with that either.
Metal drums in deep water leave no DNA except for the victim, I’ve always said.
IRC when someone puts their trash out for collection they are considered to have legally renounced their ownership of the contents and,having done so,the police can take the contents without any kind of warrant.
IMO when one submits their DNA to a public service like “Ancestry DNA” they have relinquished their ownership rights and anyone,including police,can search it.
___________________
first thought Perhaps the trash issue is wrong.
Second, Why isnt the DNA company an extension of my home instead of an extension of the public
Either the judges don’t understand science or they lie to kiss up to Blacks.
Nobody is going to be arrested on a partial DNA match. A 50% match means that somebody’s brother may have done the crime. It doesn’t mean they arrest the innocent brother. The perps who were caught were 100% matches. It just took the database to help track them down.
This is the equivalent of ruling out video evidence because the video includes innocent people.
“Although this technology has been used to crack cold cases, I am against this practice. Giving government busy bodies troves of data play with always ends in abuse of power.”
All that we’ve been dealing with is government abusing power on all levels for decades, and it is getting worse. I would LOVE to see a Supreme Court decision that this practice violates the 4th Amendment.
It’s all in the fine print.
And there’s a lot of fine print.
Why does the government have a DNA databank? Oh wait, because it’s the government.
I have to say it’s super creepy they do this.
If I ran a ancestry DNA site I’d make the whole thing double blind and unsearchable like this.
I use my DNA results daily from the major ancestor program to identify or to affirm new relatives.
In a couple of months, I will surpass 30,000 so called documented relatives.
As the 1950 census is slowly being released! About 2x a week for the past 8 weeks, I get a supposed DNA surname hit not listed on or via any of the above 30 K relatives.
I/we/my/our family members had never heard/known about these people until we were told that they were showing up on the 1950 census. Often, they have surnames, which we have never heard of nor have in those close to 30K so called documented relatives or with other relatives. Some are supposedly 1st-3rd cousins.
Often, these new surnames are complete surprises/unknowns with my family and our families in the Ancestor site.
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