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 of taking DNA 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.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
