house Bill H.R. 320
Should U.S. Police Start Using Rapid DNA Testing?
Argument in favor
DNA evidence has become a critical part of the judicial process. But it takes a long time to process. Rapid DNA analysis will help law enforcement officers do their job faster, and can help clear an innocent person's good name in only 2 hours time.
06/09/2015
The foundation of justice is truth. If we have the tools necessary to provide us a clearer and truer answer quicker then we have every obligation to use it.
03/04/2015
If our court system is based on "innocent until proven guilty" then DNA evidence is unnecessary to clear an innocent persons good name.
07/12/2015
An innocent person should be able to leave the county jail as soon as possible for a multitude of reasons.
Argument opposed
Without the oversight of trained scientists, these tests could easily be misused and pose a threat to civil liberties. Not to mention, these machines threaten the job security of technicians in DNA testing labs.
03/08/2015
This is a huge can of worms. And I don't like the idea of police being able to amass a whole bunch of information about a person at their whim. Leaving it to trained professionals keeps DNA evidence impartial and accurate.
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03/03/2015
With cops we have today, the only difference between them and real criminals is a badge
The foundation of justice is truth. If we have the tools necessary to provide us a clearer and truer answer quicker then we have every obligation to use it.
If you want to search my genetic code, get a warrant.
This is a huge can of worms. And I don't like the idea of police being able to amass a whole bunch of information about a person at their whim. Leaving it to trained professionals keeps DNA evidence impartial and accurate.
With cops we have today, the only difference between them and real criminals is a badge
If our court system is based on "innocent until proven guilty" then DNA evidence is unnecessary to clear an innocent persons good name.
An innocent person should be able to leave the county jail as soon as possible for a multitude of reasons.
Please speed up the judicial process! Use new available technology! To the future and beyond!
With all the news going on about cops, and how cops have been shown to be doing "shady" stuff, this shouldn't be put into effect. The DNA labs and DNA procedures going on right now are a good enough resource to get the proper information needed for police work.
On the surface, a machine that can quickly analyze DNA would seem to be a boon to law enforcement, clearing a huge backlog and providing swift justice. The dark side, however, is a growing database of DNA profiles, not necessarily restricted to criminals that can be abused and endanger our privacy on an unimaginable level.
It works better than and is more valid than fingerprints. Why not?
As long as the original DNA sample remains for additional testing later on, I am in favor of it
Right to privacy read the constitution there should never be a short cut around the bill of rights no matter what the reason
Sounds like a good idea but it could cost too much or maybe isn't as accurate. The machine should also include rape kits before being introduced. Maybe this could be a preliminary DNA test with the other test confirming the rapid DNA.
DNA tests have spared many erroneously convicted in prior years or decades. They have also been virtually the last word in incriminating the guilty. Any proven refinement in its technology which more rapidly establishes an identity has got to be an advantage worth adopting.
They are not qualified to do this. If they get a warrant and take a sample, they can have it analyzed in two hours at a police lab.