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50 Founders Plaza
East Hartford, CT 06108
50 Founders Plaza
East Hartford, CT 06108
As modern technology continues to improve, more methods are becoming available to law enforcement officials who investigate and prosecute crimes. In many cases, DNA evidence plays a significant role in identifying suspects, linking them to criminal activity, and prosecuting them for criminal offenses. However, the practices followed by law enforcement when collecting and using DNA samples have raised some concerns about privacy and the potential false identification of suspects. Some new technological developments may allow for more types of DNA to be collected, and this could potentially affect criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Scientific researchers regularly collect DNA from the environment and analyze it for a variety of purposes. As DNA sequencing technology becomes more powerful, it is now easy for scientists to quickly analyze DNA samples to determine their origin. Scientists have found that human DNA is often found in the environment, and it could even potentially be used to identify individual people.
Environmental DNA, or eDNA, may be found in numerous locations, including soil, water, or even the air. People are constantly shedding cells that contain DNA, including skin cells, breath droplets, and bodily fluids such as blood, sweat, and urine. Even though this DNA may have degraded, it may contain enough information to positively identify people For example, researchers have found that DNA samples taken from footprints in sand could be used to identify the person who made the footprints.
When DNA is found in certain locations, it could indicate that a person was present in that area, and this could potentially be a factor in identifying criminal suspects or linking a person with an alleged crime. Environmental DNA could also be used in other ways during criminal investigations. For example, soil samples taken from a person’s shoes could contain DNA from certain plants, indicating that they had visited a location where those plants were growing.
Due to these potential new methods of collecting DNA from crime scenes or other locations, identifying individual suspects, or obtaining evidence in a criminal case, criminal justice advocates have raised concerns about how people’s privacy rights may be affected or whether these methods will be used responsibly by law enforcement. There are few regulations that address how police officers or other law enforcement officials can use forensic technologies, and the methods used to collect evidence and identify suspects may not be disclosed until this evidence is used during a criminal prosecution.
When police do not fully disclose how these technologies are used during criminal investigations, the rights of suspects or others who are subject to searches may be affected. The likelihood that the wrong person could be identified using these methods is high. DNA samples taken from air, water, or soil could potentially identify anyone who has visited a certain area, and this could lead to charges against someone who was not involved with an alleged offense. To properly address DNA evidence, people who are facing criminal charges will need to work with an attorney who understands the laws that affect searches and investigations and the strategies that may be used to challenge evidence and defend against a conviction.
At Woolf Law Firm, LLC, we understand the complex factors that can affect evidence in criminal cases. We know how to protect the rights of defendants and ensure that evidence related to DNA is addressed correctly during criminal proceedings. To learn how our Connecticut criminal defense attorney can help with your case, contact our firm at 860-290-8690 and set up a free consultation today.
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