Dumbest Criminal Ever???

[DK_MaluNYMets]

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/A+spit+and+a+lick+convict+a+murderer%3B+The+newspaper%27s+view.-a0163275816

 

"WE find there is no inherent privacy interest in saliva," the Washington Supreme Court The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Justices. Members of the Court are elected to six-year terms. Justices must retire at the age of 75.

..... Click the link for more information. ruled Thursday. In what might be called "the case of the licked envelope," the court was right to allow a police ruse that defended the public safety.

 

The case arises from the 1982 rape and murder of Kristen Sumstad, 13, whose body was found in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood in a cardboard box. John Nicholas Athan had been seen moving such a box, but there wasn't enough evidence to charge him.

 

Twenty years TWENTY YEARS. The lapse of twenty years raises a presumption of certain facts, and after such a time, the party against whom the presumption has been raised, will be required to prove a negative to establish his rights.

2.

..... Click the link for more information. later, Seattle Police decided to check Athan's DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA

or deoxyribonucleic acid

 

One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. against a preserved sample of semen. Police posed as a law firm and wrote a letter to him in New Jersey inviting him to join a lawsuit about parking tickets. He replied by mail, and they matched DNA in their sample to the DNA from his saliva on the envelope flap. He was convicted of second-degree murder.

 

Athan argued that the government had no business examining his saliva, since he hadn't given them permission. The court ruled, 6-3, that no one had forced him to spit into a cup, and that once he had licked the envelope and dropped it into the mail, it didn't belong to him any more. It was the same, wrote Justice Charles Johnson, as if he had spit on the sidewalk.

 

Athan also argued that his letter was a legally protected communication with someone he thought might become his attorney. The court said saliva isn't communication, and is not covered not covered Health care adjective Referring to a procedure, test or other health service to which a policy holder or insurance beneficiary is not entitled under the terms of the policy or payment system–eg, Medicare. Cf Covered. by the attorney-client privilege In the law of evidence, a client's privilege to refuse to disclose, and to prevent any other person from disclosing, confidential communications between the client and his or her attorney. .

 

Chief Justice Gerry Alexander noted separately that DNA in saliva can be used for more than identification and there might be a privacy interest to consider. There wasn't one here, he said, but he was uneasy with this case as a precedent. DNA testing DNA testing

Analysis of DNA (the genetic component of cells) in order to determine changes in genes that may indicate a specific disorder.

 

Mentioned in: Acoustic Neuroma, Retinoblastoma, Von Willebrand Disease

..... Click the link for more information. is a good technology -- it has freed people wrongly convicted of murder -- but Americans have to watch that the testing is compatible with traditional liberties.

 

Here, it was. Athan's conviction stands, and that is good. It was also some very ingenious work by the Seattle Police Department The Seattle Police Department (SPD) is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Seattle, Washington, except for the campus of the University of Washington, for which responsibility falls to the University of Washington Police Department. .

 

Copyright © 2007 Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved.

 

[[SoW] Lucky_Saint-]

lol no the dumbest criminal ever definitely goes to the guy who tried to rob a bank in quantico virginia on the governments payday lol(for those that dont know that is where one of the big FBI hq's are) poor bastard turned around to about 16 fbi agents with there guns on them. if someone can find the news article for this that would be great i tried finding it but couldnt