Jan 10, 2008 5:29 pm US/Eastern
O'Malley Wants DNA Sampling Expanded
PIKESVILLE, Md. (WJZ/AP) ―
Gov. Martin O'Malley is proposing a big expansion in Maryland's use of DNA to fight crime, requiring samples to be taken from people arrested for violent crimes and burglary instead of only requiring samples from convicted felons.
Pat Warren reports O'Malley, who praised the value of DNA technology in stopping dangerous criminals, made the announcement at the Maryland State Police Forensic Science Laboratory in the first of a series of events to roll out his legislative proposals for the General Assembly, which convened Wednesday.
"It will be a huge help to increasing the reservoir of information that law enforcement will have to solve these cases and to make Maryland one of the safest states in the union," O'Malley said.
The expansion would cost about $1.7 million for extra personnel and equipment, O'Malley said.
"Which, when you consider the overall costs of all our various law enforcement agencies not only the state, but also local law enforcement ... to protecting our citizens against the threat of violent predators, it is a very small price to pay," O'Malley said.
Eleven states currently have similar DNA sampling requirements, and 22 others have been considering legislation to move in that direction, O'Malley said.
Attorney General Doug Gansler said the proposal has been modeled after one in Virginia, where the law has been upheld in courts.
Crimes that would require DNA samples would include abduction, burglary and kidnapping. Other crimes include manslaughter, rape, carjacking and assault.
The expansion of the state's DNA database would match the DNA of people who have been arrested to existing casework files. The samples would be used to help close old cases, prevent repeat offenders and exonerate people who have been imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
O'Malley also announced that the state has eliminated a backlog of untested and uncollected DNA samples from convicted felons. The backlog had grown to more than 24,000 by the end of last year. Maryland samples contributed to the FBI's CODIS database have been increased by 88 percent, O'Malley announced. He also said the number of DNA matches in investigations went up by 51 percent in 2007 compared to 2006, with a total of 287 hits in 2007.
From May 15 to Dec. 10, 24 rape cases in Baltimore County were cleared through DNA, resulting in arrests or charges for 15 suspects.
O'Malley will be rolling out his legislative agenda and budget priorities in a series of events this month leading up to his State of the State address, which is scheduled for Jan. 23.
O'Malley has scheduled an event Friday at the Baltimore Juvenile Justice Center.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
