16 JANUARY 5, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM EDITORIAL Expand DNA testing for justice’s sake The second day of 2017 marked THE HOT TOPIC STORY: Bayside chef wins big on ‘Chopped’ television cooking competition SUMMARY: Maria Petridis, chef and owner of Maria’s Mediterranean Seafood and Grill in Bayside, earned the title of “Chopped Champion” on the hit Food Network competition show “Chopped.” REACH: 55,007 (as of Jan. 3, 20 17) COMMENTS: ESTABLISHED 1908 Co-Publishers VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA SCHNEPS Editor-in-Chief ROBERT POZARYCKI Classifi ed Manager DEBORAH CUSICK Assistant Classifi ed Manager MARLENE RUIZ Reporter ANTHONY GIUDICE © 2016 SCHNEPS NY MEDIA, LLC. General Publication Offi ce: 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 TELEPHONE: 1-718-821-7500/7501/7502/7503 FAX: 1-718-224-5441 E-MAIL: info@timesnewsweekly.com WEB SITE: www.timesnewsweekly.com ON TWITTER @timesnewsweekly PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY FOR 108 YEARS COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY: Accuracy in receiving ads over the telephone cannot be guaranteed. This newspaper is responsible for only one incorrect insertion and only for that portion of the ad in which the error appears. It is the responsibility of the advertiser to make sure copy does not contravene the Consumer Protection Law or any other requirement.TIMES NEWSWEEKLY Is Listed With The Standard Rate & Data And Is A Member Of The New York Press Association SNAPS WINTER SUNSET IN BAYSIDE PHOTO BY PAULIE COCONUTS VIA FACEBOOK Send us your photos of Queens and you could see them online or in our paper! Submit them to us tag @queenscourier on Instagram, Facebook page, tweeting @QNS or by emailing editorial@qns.com (subject: Queens Snaps). fi ve months since Howard Beach resident Karina Vetrano was found murdered in a local park. Even with this passage of time, her killer remains at large. Authorities are now looking at an enhanced DNA testing technique which may help detectives fi nd Vetrano’s killer at long last and solve other cold cases. We believe this method ought to be considered, but on the condition that it doesn’t come with any unintended consequences for innocent people. Early on in the investigation, there was some hope that genetic evidence found at the crime scene would help lead detectives to Vetrano’s killer. Forensic investigators were able to create a DNA profi le from that evidence and search it through local and national criminal databanks. However, there were no matches to any existing DNA profi le. Over the years, the use and analysis of DNA evidence has helped police across the country solve cold cases, fi nd criminals guilty beyond reasonable doubt and exonerate those wrongfully accused of committing a heinous crime. It’s an incredibly eff ective crime-fi ghting tool, but in some instances such as the Vetrano murder, even standard DNA testing isn’t enough to help make an arrest. This has led Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown to ask that the state Commission on Forensic Science authorize the use of familial DNA testing in New York state. Nine other states across the country already use this technique to help solve cold cases. Familial DNA testing allows forensic investigators to further examine DNA profi les in databanks that closely resemble an unidentifi ed DNA profi le recovered from a crime scene. Once a partial match is found, it may indicate that the DNA belongs to a relative of the perpetrator. There are some groups, however, that have reservations about the use of familial DNA screening. One of them is the American Civil Liberties Union, which through its Illinois division in 2011 indicated that the method could violate the privacy of relatives of convicted felons. It may also inadvertently allow private industries the ability to discriminate against individuals found to be genetically linked to a convicted criminal. No family of a crime victim should be denied justice, nor should the family of a criminal be denied a home or a job because they happen to be related to a criminal. We believe the state should authorize the use of familial DNA testing, but expressly restrict its use to law enforcement agencies. Rather than letting a little-known commission make the decision, however, we urge the State Legislature to immediately draft and pass legislation on familial DNA testing in New York state. Expanded DNA testing may help bring justice to the family of Karina Vetrano, who was murdered in Howard Beach last year.
RT01052017
To see the actual publication please follow the link above