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U.S. GOVERNMENT 1: CA Governor Supports DNA Fingerprints

On Wednesday, July 7, 2004, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his support for Proposition 69. What's Proposition 69? It's the government term for the DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act.

The act establishes a DNA database for the state of California. The database would contain DNA records for criminals in the state. It would only contain the DNA of people who've been convicted for felonies. A felony is a very serious crime.

Starting in 2009, anyone arrested for a felony would have their DNA collected by a mouth swab. That information would then be recorded in the database. However, if the person is not convicted of the crime, he or she can get the DNA record removed from the database.

Thirty-four states, not including California, already have similar databases established. In those states, taking a DNA sample has become part of the process whenever someone is arrested, much like taking fingerprints and photos.

Many people in the state of California--including law enforcement officers, district attorneys, and victim advocates--support Proposition 69. DNA databases help the police catch criminals, especially repeat offenders. These databases also help clear the name of innocent people who are wrongly accused of a crime.

--Written by Carla Shives

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