The use of forensic DNA is governed primarily by State legislation and case law and is collected and processed in State and local agencies and laboratories. This page provides or points to answers for the following questions:
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Select from the list below to view the funding provided to New York by the President's DNA Initiative:
The number of forensic samples in the New York and national DNA databases is constantly changing as new crimes are investigated and changes are made to State laws that require the collection of samples from additional offenders.
The FBI tracks the Number of samples from New York in the national database—the National DNA Index System or NDIS.
State and local laboratories analyze samples collected in New York. Some samples may be sent to private laboratories for analysis.
State Laboratories
New York Division of Criminal Justice Services DNA Databank
New York Division of State Police, Forensic Science Laboratory
Local Laboratories
Erie County Central Police Services (CPS) Forensic Laboratory
New York City, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research
Nassau County Police Department Scientific Investigation Bureau
Onandaga County The Wallie Howard, Jr. Center for Forensic Sciences
Suffolk County Office of the Medical Examiner
Monroe County Crime Laboratory
New York statutes determine who must submit a DNA sample for inclusion in the database. Find:
We are not aware of any online resource that lists the number of samples awaiting analysis in New York.
The number of samples awaiting analysis in any State is constantly changing and affected by State statues, available resources, and crimes committed. Thus, measuring the precise number of unanalyzed DNA samples is prohibitively difficult.
Learn more about the causes and impact of the backlog of DNA evidence.
Cases decided at the State and local level set precedence for how other court decisions will be reached.
Find updated links to New York cases pertaining to forensic DNA as collected by the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology, and the Law.
Note: The National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and Law is a free resource sponsored by the National Institute of Justice. Subscription services may provide more comprehensive collections of full-text case law.
While there is no single online source showing everyone from New York exonerated by DNA, the Innocence Project provides profiles of those persons they have helped exonerate (this complete list is sortable by State).
State law determines if someone convicted of a crime and then exonerated is entitled to compensation.
Read a summary of New York's compensation law as provided by the Innocence Project.