TDR award winner is DNA collection advocate

May 12, 2008

neuman.jpgLaura Neuman is one of the high achievers who will be honored tonight by The Daily Record as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women for her entrepreneurship. But her influence on Maryland extends beyond the business world.

When Maryland begins the expansion of its DNA database tomorrow, it will be - at least in part - in response to the urging of victims of violent crime such as Laura Neuman.

Neuman lobbied hard for Maryland to expand DNA collection to include those arrested for a violent crime. She believes that her attacker, who pled guilty to rape in 2002, would have been caught sooner if his DNA had been collected during one of the six times he was arrested before she was attacked. And she testified to that before the state Legislature.

Now, Maryland joins about a dozen other states that collect DNA from people arrested for some felonies. More states will surely follow suit; 21 others are considering similar proposals, and changes are coming at the federal level, too.

Of course, not everyone thinks the expanded database is a good idea (O’Malley and Gansler are supporters). Critics say it violates a suspect’s civil rights, and even some supporters worry about abuse of the information, not to mention the backlog of samples to process.

But Neuman told CNN: “Is it worth the risk to make sure that we get these cases solved and keep people behind bars who should be behind bars? Those who are innocent have nothing to fear.

Do you agree? Does the fact that the sample will be expunged upon release or acquittal make a difference?

JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor

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Posted by The Daily Record | Filed Under DNA, business, law 

Comments

One Response to “TDR award winner is DNA collection advocate”

  1. Adam on May 14th, 2008 12:19 am

    DNA from those convicted? YES!
    DNA from those formally charged? Maybe.
    DNA from those merely suspected? Are we living in the USA or Nazi Germany??

    An innocent person can be suspected of a crime, be forced to give DNA, be cleared of any wrongdoing, and then have to bear the full burden of getting his DNA expunged from the database. The court can deny such requests and there is no right to appeal.

    “Those who are innocent have nothing to fear.” - The battle cry of totalitarianism.

    I defy anyone to explain to me why there is a public interest in requiring innocent people to furnish DNA to the government.

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