Md. Appeals Court Declines To Review DNA Ruling - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

Md. Appeals Court Declines To Review DNA Ruling

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - The Maryland Court of Appeals won't reconsider a ruling that effectively barred police from collecting DNA samples from people arrested on charges of committing a violent crime or attempting to commit one.

That means Attorney General Douglas Gansler can appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court will file its order Friday denying Gansler's May 1 motion for reconsideration. The case involves Alonzo King Jr., who was found guilty of a 2003 rape in Salisbury. King's DNA was taken after he had been arrested in 2009 on assault charges.

Opponents argue that taking a sample before someone is convicted violates the constitutional protection from unreasonable search and seizure. Supporters say the samples contribute to a database that helps law enforcement. State officials suspended such collections following the April 24 ruling.

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