The U.S. Constitution does not prohibit states from building large DNA databases by collecting samples from everyone arrested for serious crimes, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision Monday.
The case produced an unusual divide on the court, with liberal Justice Stephen Breyer joining the court’s Republican appointed justices who upheld the practice and conservative Justice Antonin Scalia writing a bitter dissent joined by most of the court’s liberals. Full Article
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-dna-20130603,0,6934225.story Apparently California has been doing this for roughly everything
I find it more and more distasteful to compromise even just a little on the registry laws and having tolerance for the registry in any form. I see that this passed via such a small margin. There are more and more clearly unconstitutional laws and policies passing Supreme Court Scrutiny. We need to find a way to balance out that injustice via public and social pressure. Any ideas?
Highly disturbing. Its almost to the point that the Police can do whatever they want? Did you see the recent article where a law might be instituted where you are prohibited from taking photos of celebrity children and police officer’s children? Now, if you get arrested and they can take a DNA swab? Now, what if you are simply detained? Do you know the difference between detained and arrested (they arrest you and don’t formally charge you?) I think this is just another way where it provides officers with an excuse to charge someone with a serious crime if they suspect the person committed another crime? Hmmm.