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The promise and perils of DNA evidence
In this occasional series, The Times examines the promise and perils of the growing use of DNA evidence in the courtroom. Have a story tip? Contact maura.dolan@latimes.com or jason.felch@latimes.com.
Though many cases involving the 5,123 unprocessed kits have been closed, evidence in more than 400 crimes could still lead to suspects, officials say.
815 sexual assault cases with untested DNA and no suspects have been tallied so far; statute has expired on 51 of them.
The police union warns members that submitting genetic evidence could lead to invasions of privacy. Department officials say the practice is needed to investigate serious use-of-force cases.
DNA: GENES AS EVIDENCE
By far the most reliable forensic science, it still has limits: Samples can be contaminated and may go untested for years. And collecting it may violate privacy laws.
DNA: GENES AS EVIDENCE
California's familial searching policy, the most extensive in the nation, looks for genetic ties between culprits and kin. Privacy advocates and legal experts are nervous.
The department plans a case-by-case review to see which sexual assault kits remain unexamined. The revelation follows reports of a similar DNA backlog at the LAPD.
Law enforcement agencies that had not used full allocations from previous years found their grants reduced despite an estimated 400,000 untested cases.
City officials acknowledge that the funding of the $700,000 effort is uncertain. The proposal is scheduled for a City Council vote Wednesday.
The National Institutes of Health quietly blocked public access to databases of patient DNA profiles after learning of a study that found the genetic information may not be as anonymous as previously believed. August 29, 2008
A discovery leads to questions about whether the odds of people sharing genetic profiles are sometimes higher than portrayed. Calling the finding meaningless, the FBI has sought to block such inquiry. June 20, 2008
Court permits the disclosure of the remote odds of finding genetic profiles similar to defendant's. June 17, 2008
A killer says he lacked an adequate defense so long after the crime. May 9, 2008
Genetic evidence is widely viewed as ironclad. In 'cold hit' cases, however, the truth is often elusive. May 4, 2008
The odds of an error are greater than you might think in 'cold hit' cases, which tap databases to ID suspects. May 4, 2008
The state will search its database for relatives of unidentified suspects in hopes of developing leads. Critics voice privacy concerns. April 26, 2008
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