New Jersey Statutes 2A:84A-32e. Findings, declarations relative to preservation of biological evidence
Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 2A:84A-32e
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
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.