A new senate bill proposes that DNA testing become mandatory before someone is convicted of a crime. The process is already done in 26 other states, but it isn’t getting through Pennsylvania without some opposition.
When someone hears they need to give a DNA sample, there is a misconception of what that entails.
No surgery, no needles, just a swab of the mouth.
“Many people have been exonerated through the use of DNA evidence,” commented Dominic Pileggi.
Senator Dominic Pileggi is sponsoring Senate Bill 150. He calls it a common sense step that’s proven to save lives across the country.
“We already take a sample now after conviction, this is a tool to have this evidence collected prior,” Pileggi explained.
Before it even gets to conviction, if you are convicted of any crime, you are booked and fingerprinted. Pileggi’s bill now adds DNA testing, but only for serious crimes.
Serious crimes in this case pertains to felonies and sex offenses.
“This bill merely modernizes the process,” stated Dauphin County First Assistant District Attorney Fran Chardo. Chardo explains that a sample will be placed into a database separate and apart from other databases.
“This database will help solve crimes, identify the guilty and exonerate the innocent,” Chardo commented.
The ACLU views this as unlawful, a unfair infringement on someone’s rights before they are “convicted of a crime.”
“It does have an air of big brother, invasive,” believes defense attorney Bill Costopoulos.
Costopoulos adds the technology of DNA testing is so advanced it can do as much good as it can harm.
“Having read it I think it's on solid ground constitutionally,” Costopoulos added.
In their letter of opposition to the senate, the ACLU points to in their view the “ineffectiveness” of this process in Maryland, where last year 10,666 DNA samples were collected…and led to nine additional convictions. They feel this does not outweigh the costs.
This bill is in position for final passage in the Senate, Senator Pileggi expects a strong vote in favor of enacting the mandatory DNA testing. The Senate is expected to vote on Wednesday.
When someone hears they need to give a DNA sample, there is a misconception of what that entails.
No surgery, no needles, just a swab of the mouth.
“Many people have been exonerated through the use of DNA evidence,” commented Dominic Pileggi.
Senator Dominic Pileggi is sponsoring Senate Bill 150. He calls it a common sense step that’s proven to save lives across the country.
“We already take a sample now after conviction, this is a tool to have this evidence collected prior,” Pileggi explained.
Before it even gets to conviction, if you are convicted of any crime, you are booked and fingerprinted. Pileggi’s bill now adds DNA testing, but only for serious crimes.
Serious crimes in this case pertains to felonies and sex offenses.
“This bill merely modernizes the process,” stated Dauphin County First Assistant District Attorney Fran Chardo. Chardo explains that a sample will be placed into a database separate and apart from other databases.
“This database will help solve crimes, identify the guilty and exonerate the innocent,” Chardo commented.
The ACLU views this as unlawful, a unfair infringement on someone’s rights before they are “convicted of a crime.”
“It does have an air of big brother, invasive,” believes defense attorney Bill Costopoulos.
Costopoulos adds the technology of DNA testing is so advanced it can do as much good as it can harm.
“Having read it I think it's on solid ground constitutionally,” Costopoulos added.
In their letter of opposition to the senate, the ACLU points to in their view the “ineffectiveness” of this process in Maryland, where last year 10,666 DNA samples were collected…and led to nine additional convictions. They feel this does not outweigh the costs.
This bill is in position for final passage in the Senate, Senator Pileggi expects a strong vote in favor of enacting the mandatory DNA testing. The Senate is expected to vote on Wednesday.