Supreme Court Upholds DNA Collection of Arrestees
Jul 01, 2013
Review the Maryland v. King decision and consider its impact on DNA collection in violent crime cases.
Resource type
Strategies in Brief
Author(s)
Christopher Mallios (former Attorney Advisor, AEquitas)
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In Maryland v. King, the U.S. Supreme Court held that states may obtain and test DNA samples of defendants arrested for violent crimes. This decision resolved conflicting holdings in state and federal courts and clarified that this procedure does not violate the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. It also sanctioned the expanded use of arrestee DNA profiles to solve cold cases in which there is DNA evidence that can prove the identity of a perpetrator. This article reviews the case facts and its impact on DNA collection laws.