Rutgers Law

New Jersey Statutes, Title: 2A, ADMINISTRATION OF CIVIL AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

    Chapter 84a: Dolls as testimonial aids

      Section: 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.

This section added to the Rutgers Database: 2018-01-19 10:33:07.

Older versions of 2a:84a-32e (if available):

Court decisions that cite this statute: CLICK HERE.