Posted by: "Mary" marerob
Rape victim pushes for expanded DNA database
Samples will be taken from people suspected of violent crimes

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var clickExpire = "-1"; By Kelli Arena and Kevin Bohn
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Laura Neuman was raped when she was 18 years old. It took
nearly 20 years to identify her attacker, even though he'd been arrested six
times before her attack and at least six times afterward.
Rape victim Laura Neuman pushed authorities to reopen her case and expand the
DNA database.

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Hill pleaded guilty in September 2002 to raping Neuman and was sent to prison
for 15 years. A DNA sample, taken in prison, led to charges in six other rape
cases.
Police say he's also a suspect in at least 20 rapes in the Baltimore, Maryland,
area. Hill denies raping any women besides Neuman, and his lawyer wouldn't
comment.
If Hill is eventually proven guilty, Neuman believes that he could have been
stopped.
"He could have been caught sooner if DNA had been taken and he had been matched
to the cases that were unsolved," she said.
"For me, it would have made a profound difference in having the case solved
sooner and for many of these women, their cases would have been solved sooner."
So she went public with her story, lobbying fiercely in her home state,
Maryland, for a law that would require police to take DNA samples from everyone
arrested for a violent crime. She testified before the state Legislature. Watch
Neuman talk about her quest »
On Tuesday, Maryland starts expanding its DNA database, collecting samples from
people arrested for murder, rape, and assault instead of just collecting DNA
from convicted criminals.
Maryland is joining a dozen other states in expanding its database, and walking
straight into controversy. To supporters, building DNA databases with samples
from the unconvicted is no different from collecting fingerprints. Critics say
it's a complete violation of civil rights.
"This is information that leads to all sorts of basic data about who we are, our
entire physical makeup," said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the Washington
office of the American Civil Liberties Union. "That is really different than a
few fingerprints."
DNA and the statesThese states require DNA from people arrested for some
felonies:

Alaska, Arizona, California, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virgina.
Next year, California and North Dakota will require DNA from all felony
suspects.

Source: National Conference of State Legislatures
Fredrickson added that there are already too many examples of racial profiling
and innocent people being rounded up in police dragnets. "Our privacy is a
critical factor and we can't assume that everybody is guilty until they are
proven themselves innocent," she said.
Like it or not, it's a trend that is gaining popularity.
At least 21 other states are considering proposals similar to Maryland's.
Changes are coming at the federal level as well. The government soon will begin
collecting DNA samples from anyone arrested or detained by the feds, including
illegal immigrants.
"I think there is a valid public policy for doing that because there are many
people who have committed crimes but who have never been convicted but have been
arrested and without their DNA in the system we are not solving those crimes,"
said Associate Attorney General Kevin O'Connor.
Most states with the new DNA arrestee laws require the police to automatically
destroy the samples if suspects are found not guilty or the charges are dropped.
But federal authorities require a formal request before they'll destroy a
specific DNA sample.
Critics worry the data could be misused, a charge O'Connor disputes. "Congress
has passed a provision that says anybody who abuses this information, or uses it
for non-law enforcement purposes such as to look at someone's family history of
diabetes or whatever the disease might be ... will be prosecuted," he said.
Justice Department officials estimate when the expansion is fully implemented --
as soon as December -- information from about 1.2 million people a year could be
added to the national DNA database. It's another cause of consternation for
critics--who say backlogs remain a major problem.
The FBI estimates that about a quarter of a million DNA samples have yet to be
processed in its lab and says it did not receive any new funds to deal with the
backlog, which is sure to grow even larger.
Many states are facing similar issues.
Critics worry that as workloads increase, catastrophic errors could be made. "We
have seen examples of crime labs that have not been able to get to the DNA
testing that has ultimately led to finding a criminal," the ACLU's Fredrickson
said. "That is what we need to do, focus our resources on where they are
actually going to make a difference." But proponents like Neuman say that
criticism is shortsighted
"Is it worth the risk to make sure that we get these cases solved and keep
people behind bars who should be behind bars?" she said. "Those who are innocent
have nothing to fear"

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