Posted by: Joseph Spector
At a packed Red Room news conference today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that all 62 district attorneys in New York, as well as all 58 county sheriffs and more than 400 police chiefs are endorsing his plan to expand the state's DNA databank.
Cuomo's proposal, which passed the state Senate last month, would require DNA samples to be collected from anyone convicted of any misdemeanor and any felony in any state law. He said it would include crimes such as felony driving while intoxicated, aggravated animal cruelty and prescription drug offenses.
Some Assembly Democrats and civil-liberties groups have questioned the expansion, saying it could infringe on people's rights. Cuomo disagreed and urged the Legislature to pass the bill this year, saying it shouldn't be part of the "Albany game" where it would be tied to other policy issues.
Posted by: Joseph Spector