Cops Take School Kids' DNA in Murder Case

Samples of DNA were collected without parental consent from students at a Sacramento, Calif., middle school in connection with the murder of an 8 th grade student who was found stabbed, strangled and beaten to death near the dugout of a local park. The Sacramento Sheriff's Department, which has been spearheading the investigation into the murder of Jessica Funk-Haslam, 13, said parental consent was not required in the DNA collection and interview of minors, several of whom were taken out of class during the day last week at Albert Einstein Middle School. "These are interviews, not interrogations," Sheriff's Deputy Jason Ramos told ABCNews.com. "They are all consensual. Once it's done, there is a mechanism in place for school administrators to notify parents."

This is such a load. If you take the time to step away from the brutality of the crime, the emotion, and realize that these statements by these "officials" is flat out bs, (minors CAN'T give consent, hence the title) you really have to wonder why the press isn't pressing the issue about the illegality of the situation instead of just taking ppl's word for it. Proof of such thinking/rationale can be found further along in the article ie:

There is nothing under California law that prohibits DNA collection of consenting minors, said John Myers, a professor at the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. "I think the answer is, kids can consent, and if they consented and it was knowing and intelligent, [law enforcement] can do the search," he told the Sacramento Bee. Ramos said last week's DNA collection was not the first time detectives visited the school and that he expects they'll be back for more follow-up.

Think?! You better be damn sure! I understand the story isn't about the legality of the DNA attainment, but since that idea affects the entire state of CA I would probably get a second opinion before trudging along with this guys word on the matter.

Oh yeah, and then the LEO's version of Arnold's "i'll be back" pokes it's head up. Of COURSE you'll be back, with ppl like this giving you carte blanche to just do whatever the hell you want with their children, why shouldn't you?

/cue in the police state apologists/terrorists/think about the CHILDREN folks!

reply to post by schadenfreude


While I would be pissed if this happened to my kid, I am a bit amused that they have only destroyed their own cases. Since a minor can't give consent, and they need probable cause to compel the DNA, if they accidentally find their killer, the evidence will be no good, and they'll never get a conviction.

This is a great way to spend a bunch of tax-payer money to rule out all the innocent suspects, but it is a terrible way to find the guilty party, because the evidence will be no good.

Morons.

Plus, not to mention a hefty lawsuit on the school and the cops.

The problem is though, the cops would assume that anybody who used their constitutional rights and said no to giving DNA would be investigated by the cops and the cops would use any opportunity to get a DNA sample by such things such as going through the trash and so on and so forth.

Once the cops think you're guilty, you're guilty no matter what and it takes very little to convince a cop you're guilty.

And once they think you're guilty they'll spare no expense going after you. Any resistance will just be seen as more guilt for you must cooperate fully with the police or you're hiding something and therefore must be guilty.

Which is shameful behavior.