BILL WOULD URGE EXPANDED DNA CRIME DATABASE.Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer LANCASTER - Assemblyman as·sem·bly·man n. A man who is a member of a legislative assembly. assemblyman Noun pl -men a member of a legislative assembly Noun 1. Phil Wyman said he wants to expand California's DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. profile database to include a wider range of convicted criminals. California currently only collects DNA from felons convicted on crimes considered ``serious'' felonies. Wyman said he wants to catalog catalog, descriptive list, on cards or in a book, of the contents of a library. Assurbanipal's library at Nineveh was cataloged on shelves of slate. The first known subject catalog was compiled by Callimachus at the Alexandrian Library in the 3d cent. B.C. DNA samples from all adults convicted of felonies, juveniles tried as adults and certain misdemeanor offenders. ``We need to get tough on the bad guys and use these sciences to do so,'' Wyman said. ``We want to see it applied as fairly and broadly as possible.'' With the expansion of DNA in the database, unsolved crimes could be linked to felons already incarcerated incarcerated /in·car·cer·at·ed/ (in-kahr´ser-at?ed) imprisoned; constricted; subjected to incarceration. in·car·cer·at·ed adj. Confined or trapped, as a hernia. as well as proving the innocence of others incarcerated, Wyman said. The bill, which has not been drafted, will not be heard by the Assembly Criminal Justice Committee until April. If passed, it would take affect the following year. Wyman says he doesn't know what the cost would be. He believes the expanded base could save money by shortening investigations and cases not supported by DNA evidence Among the many new tools that science has provided for the analysis of forensic evidence is the powerful and controversial analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, the material that makes up the genetic code of most organisms. and in acting as a deterrent to criminals. The bill is modeled after a group of bills passed last July in Michigan. The bill would restrict database access to a criminal justice agency, a judicial proceeding, a defendant if the DNA profile is in conjunction with the charge and for academic and research purposes if personal identifications are removed. ``DNA to me is really a bright and shining light that says 'we can get the evidence,''' Wyman said. ``The DNA evidence allows criminals to be found, prosecuted and kept away from society.'' Wyman said he also will draft legislation that would make the murder of a child under age 14 a special circumstance punishable by death. The law, if passed, would make any murderer of a child eligible for the death penalty. Wyman said he became interested in toughening California's laws after a cousin was murdered in the San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden 1970s serial killings known as the Zebra murders The Zebra murders were a number of connected murders committed by a black supremacist serial killer ring which took place in San Francisco, California from 1973 until 1974, and which left at least 16 people dead [1], and from eight (Howard) to ten (additions by Scheeres, . Wyman was a law student at the time. ``I realized that the laws in this state were too weak,'' Wyman said. ``I decided to do something about it.'' |
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