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HARTFORD, Conn. A new law that requires the collection of DNA evidence from convicted felons upon a subsequent felony arrest has been enacted, earning the praise of state Rep. Bruce Morris.
"I truly believe this new law I helped championed will save lives," Morris, a Norwalk Democrat who co-sponsored the legislation, said in a statement. "It will help law enforcement resolve crimes quicker and prevent repeat offenders from causing more pain to families. It will also exonerate people wrongfully arrested."
Norwalk Police Chief Harry Rilling joined Morris to witness Gov. Dannel Malloy sign the legislation into law Friday at the state Capitol. He said it is an important step.
"The more DNA samples we have the greater the likelihood we will be able to identify offenders of unsolved crimes or solve any other crimes they might later commit," Rilling said in the statement. "Since DNA has become a forensic tool not only have we been able to solve crimes that have gone unsolved for years, but many people wrongfully convicted also have been freed. This forensic evidence is a valuable tool for enforcement and will accomplish many purposes. It will serve the state well."
The new law requires people arrested for any of 39 serious felony offenses to provide DNA sample before they are released from custody if they have previously been convicted of a felony.
"DNA is the new fingerprint in law enforcement," Morris said. "It will prevent crimes and save lives."
Morris said that when he heard of Katie Sepich's tragic story he decided he wanted to do everything possible to pass a "Katie's Law" in Connecticut. In Katie Sepich's murder, after three years of investigation, the New Mexico DNA database matched the unknown profile of her perpetrator, who had been convicted of several other crimes.
The information gathered in Connecticut will be added to a federal DNA database. A provision in the bill allows for an individual that is exonerated to be allowed to have their DNA expunged from the system.
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