PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Lori Sitler
Phone: (302) 577-8314
Pager: (302) 247-1132
Date: October 1, 2004

ATTORNEY GENERAL BRADY PARTICIPATES IN NATIONAL ABA TASK FORCE on BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

(Wilmington, DE): Attorney General Jane Brady is participating this weekend in an on-going effort by the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Criminal Justice Standards Committee to draft new national standards on biological evidence. Biological evidence includes blood, semen, hair, breath, bone and tissue samples. Brady serves as the Liaison from the National Association of Attorneys General to the ABA’s Standards Task Force on Biological Evidence. At this weekend’s meeting in Washington, DC, the Task Force will consider standards on the collection, preservation, testing and use of biological evidence in relation to pre-trial, trial and post-conviction proceedings in criminal cases. It will also consider the maintenance and use of DNA databases. 

Whether used to identify human remains, exclude a suspect from a criminal investigation or help convict an offender, Brady believes that national standards for biological evidence can help victims have confidence in the criminal justice system, “The use of biological evidence in accurately identifying the perpetrators of crime and successfully convicting those who offend is of the utmost importance. The quality of the samples, the reliability of the testing and the fair availability of the results to juries is critical to an effective justice system.” 

The group is chaired by the Honorable Martin Marcus of the New York State Supreme Court and includes local, state and federal prosecutors, public defenders, academics and forensic experts. 

###