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St. Petersburg Times (Florida)

March 16, 2000, Thursday, 0 South Pinellas Edition

Bill requiring DNA test advances

BYLINE: LUCY MORGAN

SECTION: CITY & STATE; Pg. 4B

LENGTH: 534 words

DATELINE: TALLAHASSEE

Despite ACLU objections, a Senate committee approves a bill that would put all burglars' DNA on file.

A bill that would extend DNA testing to anyone convicted of burglary won the approval of a Senate
committee Wednesday, despite dire predictions from an ACLU lobbyist who said the nation is not far
from the day when everyone's DNA will be on file.

Larry Spalding, lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union, noted that some people are pushing a
move to test all babies born in U.S. hospitals instead of merely limiting DNA files to sexual predators.

"I'm concerned about this progression and slowly giving away our right to privacy," Spalding said. "DNA
can also tell us if a person has epilepsy or if they are going to be gay or a lesbian or if we will be likely
to develop certain diseases. Are we going to trust government to maintain information without sharing
it?"

Members of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee ignored Spalding's concerns and unanimously
approved the bill by Sen. Charlie Bronson, R-Indian Harbour Beach. It is supported by law enforcement
officials who say more than 52 percent of those convicted of sexual crimes or murder have been
previously convicted of burglary.

In other action Wednesday, the committee heard from two mothers with concerns about the state's drug
scene.

A Sarasota woman whose 16-year-old daughter was raped after being drugged with "roofies," a
knockout drug, urged passage of a bill that makes it possible to use the confession of a rapist when
prosecutors lack the ability to prove a rape occurred.

She said her daughter did not recall the rape and did not report it for several months. The rapist
confessed but could not be prosecuted because his confession could not be used against him without
proof that the rape occurred.

The Senate bill, identical to one approved by a House committee Wednesday, would allow the use of
such confessions after a judge determines that the confession is trustworthy and considers other
corroborating evidence.

Committee members unanimously approved the bills in the House and Senate committees.

A Gainesville woman, Debbie Martinez, urged the Senate committee to pass a bill that would make it a
felony to distribute nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, which is increasingly "huffed" by Florida
teenagers.

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Five deaths were attributed to the illegal use of the gas during 1999, including the death of a Brevard
County woman that led legislators to introduce a bill that would help law enforcement officers deal with
teen clubs and "raves" where the drug is sold.

In other action, the Senate committee approved a bill that would allow private prison companies to build
prisons in Florida and take in out-of-state inmates who would be housed for a fee.

The prisons would have to get approval from regional planning councils and submit to oversight by a
state commission.

Lobbyists for the Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents prison guards, oppose the bill,
saying it would pose a danger to Floridians.

Sen. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, voted against the bill. Meek is an employee of Wackenhut Corp., one
of the companies that operates private prisons.

PERSON: LARRY SPALDING (74%); KENDRICK MEEK (60%);

ORGANIZATION: AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (91%); AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES

UNION (91%);

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES (92%);

STATE: FLORIDA, USA (92%);

CITY: TALLAHASSEE, FL, USA (79%);

COMPANY: AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (91%); AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (91%);

SUBJECT: legislation crime science burglary$; DNA (92%); LEGISLATION (91%); DNA
TESTING (91%); APPROVALS (91%); FORENSIC DNA TESTING (90%); CRIMINAL
CONVICTIONS (90%); FORENSICS (90%); GENETIC SCREENING (90%); SEXUAL
ASSAULT (90%); LOBBYING (90%); BURGLARY (90%); LEGISLATIVE BODIES (90%); SEX
OFFENSES (90%); CRIMINAL OFFENSES (89%); LEGISLATORS (89%); DATE RAPE DRUGS (88%); LAW
ENFORCEMENT (88%); PRISONS (83%); FELONIES (78%); MURDER (77%); JUSTICE
DEPARTMENTS (77%); PARTY DRUGS (77%); EVIDENCE (77%); HUMAN RIGHTS
ORGANIZATIONS (73%); CRIMINAL LAW (72%); EPILEPSY (70%); ADOLESCENTS (70%); GAYS &
LESBIANS (68%); YOUTH CLUBS & ACTIVITIES (60%);

LOAD-DATE: March 16, 2000

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

DISTRIBUTION: CITY & STATE; METRO & STATE; TAMPA & STATE

Copyright 2000 Times Publishing Company

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