Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, was one of the primary sponsors for "Katie's Law," named for murder victim Katie Sepich.
"We created legislation that is going to save people's lives," Tipton said by telephone, as legislators and media gathered in the capitol's West Foyer to watch Gov. Bill Ritter ink the new law.
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Sepich's mother, Jayann, was also at the capitol to witness the signing.
"I'm so excited and so happy. It's a wonderful day for the people of Colorado," she said by telephone.
New Mexico State University graduate student Katie Sepich was 22 when she was raped and murdered in 2003.
DNA evidence was recovered from under her fingernails, but although her killer was arrested for burglary in another case, he wasn't required to give a DNA sample upon arrest. Gabriel Avilla then skipped bail and was arrested three years later on the burglary complaint. Only after his conviction was his DNA collected and a match made in the Sepich murder.
Though civil libertarians have criticized laws requiring DNA collection before conviction as reversing a person's presumption of innocence, Tipton said Katie's Law does not have that effect.
What will be collected under the law is 13 strands out of three billion DNA markers; Tipton said the DNA collected is simply a separator, the width of which is unique to every human being. He likened the DNA collection to the taking of fingerprints, which does not affect a defendant's presumption of innocence.
The bill also contains provisions for the expunging of DNA records if a defendant is not convicted of a felony.
For the full story, see Friday's Daily Press.
occultpredator wrote on May 23, 2009 1:11 PM: