North Carolina's attorney general says he thinks authorities should have the power to take DNA samples after a someone is arrested for a felony instead of waiting for the person to be convicted.
The StarNews of Wilmington reported Attorney General Roy Cooper told a meeting of the North Carolina Sheriff's Association in Wrightsville Beach on Tuesday such a move would help police solve crimes more quickly.
The Legislature would have to approve the change.
Sarah Preston of the American Civil Liberties Union in Raleigh says the ACLU opposes taking DNA samples after an arrest because it would turn the concept of innocent until proven guilty on its head.
She says police already can get the DNA samples if they get a search warrant or the suspect's consent.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement