Officials should remove those obstacles, and use the microbiological biological tool to the full. When thinking about DNA evidence and the difference it makes, it helps to think of criminal justice systems as existing along a spectrum. Toward one end is Japan. Japanese police can interrogate a prisoner night and day for up to 23 days before filing charges, the newspaper reports. But under the weight of DNA technology, among other things, Japan's old way is collapsing, and police are relying more on gathering evidence and less on getting convictions at any cost.
American culture is closer to the ideal that people are innocent until proven guilty.
But DNA evidence is pushing our country, too, and rightly so. As the Herald story pointed out, some obstacles that remain include the practice of destroying evidence before it has been subjected to DNA testing, denying access to evidence for testing and reluctance among some defense attornies to press for routine testing. Naturally, another obstacle is money. Making DNA testing routine in those cases where it's needed will add to the cost of putting criminals in jail. But the expense is worth it.