Daily Archives: March 5, 2013

DENVERNearly all people going through Colorado's criminal court system would have to submit DNA samples under a bill introduced Tuesday at the state House.

The measure would require those convicted of misdemeanorsfrom shoplifting to assaultto submit DNA samples. Those samples would be entered into a database where it would be compared with DNA found at scenes of unsolved crimes.

If approved, Colorado would become only the second state in the nation to have such a law, according to Rich Williams, a criminal justice policy specialist with the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In October, New York began collecting DNA from those convicted of misdemeanors, with an exception for those with no previous criminal records who are convicted of marijuana offenses.

DNA would be collected through a cheek swab, then sent to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for testing and to a state database.

More than half the states, including Colorado, collect DNA from those accused of felonies under a law known as "Katie's Law," named after 22-year-old Katie Sepich, who was raped and murdered in New Mexico in 2003. The man who pleaded guilty to her slaying had been arrested on a felony just months before her death.

Previously, only DNA of those convicted of felonies went into state databases. The United States Supreme Court last week heard arguments in a case out of Maryland that considers whether such laws violate the rights of those who should be presumed innocent and whether DNA should be considered the "fingerprints of the 21st century."

Courts have previously upheld the constitutionality of collecting DNA from those convicted of felonies.

Prosecutors credit "Katie's Law" with solving cold cases and stopping repeat offenders. Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, a supporter of the new measure and longtime advocate for expanding DNA testing, noted the successes following New York's implementation of collecting DNA from those convicted of misdemeanors.

In one instance, a man convicted of a misdemeanor for jumping a subway turnstile was later linked by DNA to multiple unsolved rapes, Morrissey said.

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Bill would require DNA from misdemeanor convicts

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Frozen food maker Birds Eye said horse meat DNA found in two of its products came from an Irish meat processor that is part of one of Ireland's largest agricultural businesses.

Birds Eye was drawn into the scandal last month when a chilli con carne sold in Belgium was pulled off retail shelves after testing positive for horse DNA. That also prompted the withdrawal of its spaghetti bolognese and beef lasagne products.

The company said investigations had found its Belgian supplier Frigilunch NV had unknowingly sourced meat with horse DNA from Irish meat processor QK Meats.

"Our investigation has shown that Frigilunch NV (who supplied these products to us) was itself supplied meat with horse in it by an Irish meat processor QK Meats," Birds Eye said in a statement on Tuesday.

"In total we have tested 250 products across Europe and confirmed three products as containing horsemeat," Birds Eye said.

The horsemeat scandal erupted in Ireland after its food safety authority discovered horse DNA in frozen beef burgers and the Birds Eye investigation brings more unwanted attention on the country's reeling beef industry.

"All other meat suppliers to Frigilunch NV have been given the all clear through both Birds Eye's and Frigilunch NV's separate testing programmes," the statement said.

Private equity group Permira owns the Iglo Group whose frozen food brands include Birds Eye in Britain, Iglo, which trades across much of continental Europe, and Findus in Italy.

Birds Eye said tests showed its beef burgers, beef pies and beef platters sold in Britain and Ireland did not contain horse DNA.

QK Meats parent firm is the Arrow Group, which is privately owned by Irish businessmen the Queally brothers who own shares in one of Europe's largest food processors, Dawn Meats.

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CORRECTED-Birds Eye names Irish company as the source of horse DNA find