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 ...
so if a criminal left their phone instead, we couldn’t call the numbers on it either... is that it???
Most DNA firms these days ask if people want to opt in to allow their profiles to assist law enforcement.
If you opt out then the 4th Amendment kicks in and law enforcement is then prohibited from looking at your DNA without a specific warrant.
Exactly.🤔
I was in the Navy from 1988-1992.
The US Government has had my DNA since 1987, so there’s not much I can do about it now.
Unexpected DNA Matches ~ Ancestry
DNA results can have a big impact on how we understand our family connections. If your results show something you weren’t expecting, we hope this page can help you.
If you’ve discovered that someone unexpected is a close relative, or that a known family member isn’t in the category you were expecting, you may be wondering if your results are accurate.
A few things could be going on. We will explain some of these scenarios.
First, some basics.
If someone appears in your list of matches in the categories of third cousin or closer, you can be confident that you are biologically related to that person. This means that people on your list of DNA matches who fall into any of the following categories are your relatives:
Parent/child
Full sibling (a brother or sister who shares both parents with you)
Close family
First cousin
Second cousin
Third cousin
What does this mean?
If a match is identified as a parent, child, or full sibling, you can be certain that the genetic relationship has been identified correctly (except in the extremely rare case of a sample switch, such as when two people take their tests together and inadvertently switch tube codes). The children of identical twins are a unique case; these cousins appear to each other as half siblings, and the twins appear as the parents of both sets of kids.
The close family category and all cousin categories are based on how much DNA you share. Because of this, more distant relatives may not always show up in the expected categories. For example, someone in the “first cousin” category could be your first cousin, but they could also be your great-grandparent or great-grandchild, half aunt or half uncle, half niece or half nephew, and more. You may need records or other information to really figure out how you’re related.
There’s a scientific reason for all of this, and that’s because with biological relationships, there’s a range of possible shared DNA. For example, a grandparent and grandchild (who usually appear as “close family”) may share anywhere from 1,200 to 2,300 centimorgans of DNA. First cousins can share anywhere from 480 to 1,300 centimorgans. Since there’s an overlap there, it’s possible that a relative who shares, say, 1,250 centimorgans with you may appear in either the close family or the first cousin category.
Your relationship to people in the fourth cousin categories and further out may not always be due to a recent shared ancestor. It may be due to DNA that’s common in a population you both come from. This is more likely if people usually married within that population, as was the case with people who lived on islands, for example.
Missing matches:
If you’re missing a match or seeing an unexpected match where you expected someone else to be, remember that your DNA matches are your biological relatives. Adopted family, step-family, and people who married into your family usually don’t share DNA with you.
So, what does it mean if a biological family member isn’t showing up, or someone unexpected is showing up in their place? A few things could be going on:
They haven’t taken an AncestryDNA® test.
One of you tested with a different company. Check each of your tests; for you to match with each other on Ancestry, you both need to have taken AncestryDNA® tests.
They chose not to see and be seen by matches.
Your list hasn’t been updated since they received their results. It may take up to 24 hours for a new relative to appear.
One of you received a bone marrow transplant from another person. When someone receives a bone marrow transplant, some of their cells contain the DNA of the donor, and this can affect who they match with.
It’s also possible that a person you thought was a close relative isn’t biologically related to you. Though it’s possible that it’s a mistake, it’s extremely unlikely. Relationship predictions are almost always accurate for people who are second cousins or closer.
What now?
We understand that discovering you are not related to someone in the way you thought, or finding unexpected close relatives, can be challenging. Know that you are not alone.
We encourage you to seek the help you need to process these results. We have provided resources below that may be helpful to you as you navigate your discovery.
Learn more about unexpected results here.
Ancestry is not affiliated or associated with any of the support resources below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aWmkyN2W7bZL2yulzSI8SL-HIsXq3RFz6toME9PTifM/edit
Does this mean that the police can no longer go to the DMV to see who owns a white Chevy Tahoe within a five mile radius, since security cameras caught such a truck at the crime scene? Or to local tire shops to see who bought Goodyear Eagle GT’s in the last two years as their impressions were left after the getaway car ran over an oil slick ? How about all the sporting goods stores for records of purchasers of Nike Air Jordans about size 10, since the perp left clear track in the mud?
I didn't know DNA was racist. I thought everyone (including the preborn) had DNA.
I was in the Navy from 1988-1992.
The US Government has had my DNA since 1987, so there’s not much I can do about it now.
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You answered a question I’ve been wondering about, If military now has to give DNA sample.
‘63-’67 for me.... All they got from me besides 4 years of my life was finger prints and blood type.
I don’t like the idea that info about me might be in some DNA “familial database” (the definition of those terms is probably a trope) that could later be used against me (or one of my descendants).
Well, the took my blood a bunch; I’m medical separated from the Navy, so they have my saliva, blood, etc.
They’ve got it from the VA, if nothing else.
In this example the police would be searching their own (states) records, not the owner’s
Back in the late 90’s the military started collecting DNA samples from service members if I remember correctly. I believe that’s when they took mine. I’ve slept a few times since then so I may have the timeframe wrong.
Until they plant it.
Spoken like a good citizen of Oceania.🙄
People not only giving their dna to private firms and then paying them to do it is insane IMHO…
DNA is routinely collected from newborns at birth.
“DNA is routinely collected from newborns at birth.”
Sick. The kids don’t even get a say in this.
Which example is that?
well.. honestly I personally have nothing to hide. Anyone listen to my conversations will be bored, anyone following me will conclude I do nothing, and my DNA should be practically no where but my house since I work from home.
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