Jim Sensenbrenner: “Mr. Speaker, news stories extolling the successful use of DNA to solve crimes abound. Consider the following: in 1999…”

“Mr. Speaker, news stories extolling the successful use of DNA to solve crimes abound. Consider the following: in 1999, New York authorities linked a man through DNA evidence to at least 22 sexual assaults and robberies that had terrorized the city. In 2002, authorities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Fort Collins, Colorado, used DNA evidence to link and solve a series of crimes perpetrated by the same individual. In the State of Washington during 2001, DNA evidence provided a major breakthrough of the ``Green River'' killings, a series of crimes that had remained unsolved for years despite a large law enforcement task force and a $15 million investigation. DNA is generally used to solve crimes in one of two ways. In cases where a suspect is identified, a lawfully obtained sample of that person's DNA can be compared to evidence from the crime scene. The results of this comparison may help establish whether the suspect committed the crime. In cases where a suspect has not yet been identified, biological evidence from the crime scene can be analyzed and compared to offender profiles in DNA databases to help identify the perpetrator. DNA evidence has also been used successfully to free individuals who have been wrongfully convicted.”