2A:84A-32e Findings, declarations relative to preservation of biological evidence.
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. The value of properly preserved biological evidence has been enhanced by the discovery of modern DNA testing methods, which, coupled with a comprehensive system of DNA databases that store crime scene and offender profiles, allow law enforcement to improve its crime-solving potential;
b. Tapping the potential of preserved biological evidence requires that this evidence be properly identified, collected, preserved, stored, catalogued, and organized;
c. Law enforcement agencies indicate that "cold" case investigations are hindered by an inability to access biological evidence that was collected during criminal investigations;
d. Innocent people mistakenly convicted of serious crimes for which biological evidence is probative cannot prove their innocence if the evidence is not accessible for testing under appropriate circumstances;
e. It is established that the failure to update policies regarding the preservation of evidence squanders valuable law enforcement resources, manpower hours, and storage space; and
f. Simple but crucial enhancements to protocols for properly preserving biological evidence can solve old crimes, enhance public safety, and settle claims of innocence.
L.2017, c.248, s.1.
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