New York Court of Appeals
The Matter of Terrence Stevens v. New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
October 24, 2023
Summary
The Court of Appeals held that petitioners had standing to challenge the familial DNA search regulations because their familial relationships with individuals in the DNA Databank created a concrete and particularized risk of investigative scrutiny. On the merits, the Court held that the DNA Databank Act authorized the Commission on Forensic Sciences to regulate familial DNA searches because it empowered the Commission to define DNA matches and govern access to and use of Databank information for law-enforcement identification purposes. The Court therefore reversed the Appellate Division and dismissed the petition.