Monday, September 21, 2009

DNA Sample could buy Freedom


by blogger gmp

Several states have passed laws over the past few years mandating individuals arrested for a felony must submit a DNA sample. The infamous O.C. also known as Orange County has taken it a step further and are giving those arrested the option of submitting a DNA sample in exchange for their charges being dropped. Those in favor of such measures believe not only will it serve as a deterrent for future criminals and cut down on the number of cases passing through the judicial system. A fee of $75 has also been proposed as the cost to submit the sample as part of the overall deal. Can we really place a price on freedom???

In a perfect world, I think most of us would prefer that were someone accused and arrested for a crime, they proceeded through the criminal justice system in a more traditional sense," Sorrell said. "However, these are very difficult times, and the volume of crimes has had a huge impact on the D.A.'s office and law enforcement agencies.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

One of the greatest ideals living in the United States is a sense of freedom; however we make tradeoffs all the time in order to help maintain comfort and security. We have social security cards, ids, and background checks. Making suspects convicted of a felony give DNA samples is one of the trade offs I feel like we should be willing to make. First, imagine if you are innocent. A $75 fee would be nothing if it meant that you would be able to clear your name. If a person was guilty, however, he or she would porbably put up more of a struggle to give DNA. Having the DNA logged in a database could also link certain criminals to crimes.

SLW