For many decades, librarians have been advocates for privacy rights (mostly around reading and intellectual curiosity). Thus, the recent Supreme Court ruling about DNA evidence caught my eye.
This week, the Supreme Court ruled on a 4th Amendment Case (protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures). The Court found that police may collect DNA evidence from individuals who were under arrest. The government argued that this was similar to taking finger prints. Privacy rights advocates argue that this is an invasive procedure that violates our bodily rights.
For a discussion of the Court opinion see Justices Allow DNA Collection After an Arrest. If you are interested in a more thorough discussion of the 4th Amendment take a look at this book in our library collection: Unreasonable searches and seizures : rights and liberties under the law / Otis H. Stephens, Richard A. Glenn
If want to hear a summary of the arguments made in this case, take a look at this video:
Supreme Court Rules Police Can Swab for DNA Upon Arrest
Watch Police Collecting DNA From Criminals Reaches Supreme Court on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.