Police and prosecutors in Pennsylvania have another weapon in their arsenal to help solve crimes.

People convicted of some crimes now are required to give DNA samples, which will be stored in FBI data banks in the hope of matching them to other crimes or to help spur the release of someone who may have been wrongfully convicted.

The crimes include felonies, first-degree misdemeanors and certain second-degree misdemeanors.

At a recent sentencing proceeding in Butler County Common Pleas Court, defendants who had pleaded guilty or were found guilty of felony crimes and misdemeanor crimes of theft, fleeing from police and second DUI offenses were ordered to provide DNA samples as part of their sentences.

The changes in state law recognize the use of DNA science as a tool to help solve crimes and prevent wrongful convictions, John Rago, an associate professor of law at Duquesne University's Thomas R. Kline School of Law, told the Eagle this week.

The United States first used DNA testing in 1987 in the case of Tommy Andrews, a Florida man who was accused of raping a woman during a burglary.

Studies have shown that DNA evidence is 99% accurate, making it one of the most foolproof pieces of evidence that can be used in court. Like fingerprints, no two people have the same DNA. If a mistake occurs, it's typically because of human error.

All 50 states and the federal government have laws requiring that DNA samples be collected from some categories of offenders, according to the Department of Justice.

As of November 2022, the FBI’s National DNA Index System (NDIS) contained more than 15.68 million offender profiles, 4.89 million arrestee profiles and 1.23 million forensic profiles. Its Combined DNA Index System had produced more than 637,830 hits assisting in more than 622,955 investigations as of November 2022.

From Pennsylvania, NDIS has 444,660 offender DNA profiles that aided in 12,131 investigations.

Scientific advances have made DNA technology increasingly vital to ensuring accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system.

“Criminal justice is never a finished product,” Rago said “We’re always trying to become better than we were yesterday. When we find a better way, we should use it.”

We couldn’t agree more.

– JGG