Community Corner

Issue: Did Supreme Court Make Right Call on Letting Police Take DNA?

"Your DNA can be taken and entered into a national database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason," dissenting justice said.

When police arrest you, they can now routinely collect a sample of your DNA.  That's what the U.S.  Supreme Court ruled Monday in a case that could broaden search powers—and compromise privacy.

According to The Associated Press: "Getting DNA swabs from criminals is common. All 50 states and the federal government take cheek swabs from convicted criminals to check against federal and state databanks, with the court's blessing. The fight at the Supreme Court was over whether that DNA collection could come before conviction and without a judge issuing a warrant."

Justice Antonin Scalia, in a dissent read aloud in the courtroom, said: "Make no mistake about it: because of today's decision, your DNA can be taken and entered into a national database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason."

Should the public be concerned about privacy rights, and whether police could use this new DNA information unwisely?  Or is this nothing more than high-tech fingerprinting? Share your thoughts in the comments.



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