DNA

Maryland v. King

Court Type: U.S. Supreme Court
Status: Closed (Judgment)
Last Update: June 3, 2013

What's at Stake

Whether collecting and analyzing DNA samples from arrestees without a warrant or consent violates the Fourth Amendment.

The issue in this case is whether the government may collect and analyze DNA samples from individuals who have been arrested, but not yet convicted, without a warrant or consent. The ACLU amicus brief argues that this drastic expansion of DNA databases has marginal benefits for law enforcement and is based on a theory that has no obvious limiting principle, thus raising significant privacy concerns.

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