The following is an excerpt.
It has been described as both “creepy” and “cool”. But amid the publicity surrounding a provocative art project that creates “facial reconstruction” sculptures based on the analysis of DNA on cigarette butts, chewing gum, and other detritus collected from the streets of New York City, one question has remained unasked: is it legal?
Read the full story here: Artworks highlight legal debate over ‘abandoned’ DNA
Additional Resources:
- “California bill would prevent genetic-testing firms from using surreptitiously obtained DNA,” San Jose Mercury News
The California Senate Bill 222, if passed, would require a donor to consent to any collection of genetic material, or genetic testing. - “Supreme Court OKs DNA swab of people under arrest,” USA Today
In Maryland, however, a recent supreme court ruling upheld law enforcement’s right to collect DNA samples from people arrested for, but not convicted of, serious crimes.
