DNA Testing of Arrestees
Genetic Identification and the Right to Prvacy
Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a building block of life. Every cell of almost every living thing contains DNA, and every human’s DNA is unique. Through scientific analysis, hair, skin, blood, fingernails — any human matter — can be traced back to a specific individual with 99.986 percent certainty. Because DNA can serve as a “genetic fingerprint,” it has become a very useful tool in modern law enforcement, employed by police and prosecutors to definitively link suspects to crimes, often in cases where other evidence is inconclusive. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has created a database — the Combined DNA…
