Joyful Heart in the News

"I am 100% confident that of the elected DA's across the state will be supportive of this legislation," said Broome County District Attorney Gerry Mollen as he gathered with local law enforcement leaders Tuesday to voice their support for Governor Andrew Cuomo's All Crimes DNA Bill. The bill ia an expansion of the state's DNA Databank that was proposed in his 2012-2013 budget address last week.

"We have to make sure that we're using our tools, that we're doing what works, and we have to pass the this All Crimes DNA Bill," said the Governor's Deputy Secretary for Public Safety Elizabeth Glazer. 

The proposal would require DNA samples from criminals convicted of all felonies and all Penal law misdemeanors. 

"This is a non-invasive procedure it's no more than taking a cotton swab, rubbing the inside of the cheek and that's basically it," said Broome County Under-Sheriff Alex Minor. 

According to the State Division of Criminal Justice Services the state's DNA Databank has helped prosecutors solve more than 2,700 crimes, including 20 in Broome County.

Mollen says the state and county will benefit from the expansion of DNA technology.

"Then when you have an unsolved murder, rape, robbery where DNA is left behind we're going to be able to match that unsolved case DNA to the record of people who have been convicted and are coming through our system," said Mollen. 

"And it's not just convictions, It's not just preventing crime," adds Glazer. "It's also exonerations." 

Law and Order actress Mariska Hargitay is also speaking out about Governor Cuomo's DNA Databank proposal.

"A single DNA sample often matches to multiple cold cases when enter to a Databank," said Hargiaty in a video posted on her Joyful Heart Foundation website.

If the DNA Databank is included in the Governor's approved budget in April, it can go into effect as early as October 1, 2012.