Governor O’Malley of Maryland’s Response to Supreme Court Decision Upholding MD’s DNA Collection Law

The following is Governor O’Malley of Maryland’s response to the recent case heard by the Supreme Court, Maryland v. King, where the justices upheld Maryland’s law to sample a person’s DNA upon arrest and without requiring a warrant.
ANNAPOLIS, MD  – Governor Martin O’Malley released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling today on the State’s DNA case, Maryland v. King – upholding the constitutionality of the Maryland DNA Collection Act, a key piece of the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s public safety agenda in 2008.The Governor recently signed a bill passed this session that repeals the sunset of the DNA law in Maryland:

“Working together with our law enforcement partners, we have driven down violent crime in Maryland to 30-year lows. Today’s Supreme Court ruling is important because it confirms an important weapon in our arsenal to fight violent crime in our State.

“DNA collection has been a very effective new tool in our efforts to save lives by reducing violent crime and resolving open investigations. I’d like to thank Attorney General Doug Gansler, Deputy Attorney General Kay Winfree, and the capable appellate attorneys of the Attorney General’s Office of Maryland. Together, we will continue employing innovative and meaningful strategies to reduce crime, including using DNA, so that we can take violent offenders off the streets and protect our families and children.”