To Beat Statute of Limitations, Authorities Indict DNA of Unknown Rapists

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

There may come a time when statutes of limitations no longer have any bearing on cases involving rape and other crimes. Although time limits still exist in state and federal laws, prosecutors are getting around them by indicting the DNA of culprits while law enforcement searches out their identities. In New York City, prosecutors have obtained 13 convictions of rapists whose DNA was indicted before they knew to whom it belonged.

 
States such as Arkansas, Michigan and Delaware allow district attorneys to use genetic evidence as a basis for indicting unknown assailants in sex crimes. In fact, Delaware allows DNA indictments for other crimes as well, including murder, forgery and perjury.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
 

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