Prosecutors say new Indiana DNA law could save lives – WSBT-TV

by Kristin Bien, WSBT 22 Reporter/Anchor

Prosecutors say a new Indiana law could save Hoosier lives. When a person is arrested and charged with a felony, their DNA will be entered into a national database.

A sample is taken through a Q-tip swab inside the cheek. If a person is found to be innocent, the data is disposed.

St. Joseph County Prosecutor Ken Cotter says the state has been doing this for years for people convicted of felonies.

"Being able to ID who that person was not just based on a person's memory but also the forensic findings -- that in fact it is one out of a billion people, which means it is that person when there is a match. I think people understand that there is not a confusion there. They are the actual person who has done it," said Cotter.

The idea is to find and keep repeat offenders behind bars.

Critics to this law argue it infringes on civil and privacy rights, but the supreme court found that DNA collection from suspects did not violate their rights.

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Prosecutors say new Indiana DNA law could save lives - WSBT-TV