Beginning in August, anyone convicted of a felony or penal law misdemeanor in New York State will have to provide a sample for the state's DNA databank under a new law.
Previously, less than fifty percent of convicted criminals were required to provide samples.
The new law also expands defendants' access to DNA testing and comparison both before and after conviction in appropriate circumstances, as well as to discovery after conviction where innocence is claimed.
According to supporters of the new law, the DNA databank provided leads in nearly 2,900 convictions. DNA evidence has also led to the exoneration of 27 New Yorkers who were wrongly convicted.
More information on the state’s DNA databank can be found here.
