Supreme Court OKs DNA Swabs at Arrest Without Warrants

On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that it’s ok for police to take a DNA swab from anyone they arrest for a serious crime.

The court was heavily divided on the issues with 5 ruling for the practice, 4 ruling against.

“Taking and analyzing a cheek

swab of the arrestee DNA is, like fingerprinting and photographing, a legitimate police booking procedure that is reasonable under the Fourth Amendment,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the court’s five-justice majority.

But Justice Antonin Scalia warned: “Make no mistake about it: Because of today’s decision, your DNA can be taken and entered into a national database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason.”