The US Supreme Court has declined to review a lower court's decision on a case involving DNA obtained from an interrogation chair a suspect sat in, Ars Technica reports.
Based on that DNA evidence, the suspect, Glenn Raynor, was convicted of rape and sentenced to life in prison. Raynor argued that his DNA was collected without his knowledge and consent; he was not under arrest at the time, nor was there a warrant for DNA collection, The Verge says. Raynor was asking the Supreme Court to determine whether police can collect and use such "inadvertently shed" DNA as evidence, it adds.
By deciding not to review the case, the Electronic Frontier Foundation argues that the court is permitting a nationwide database of randomly sourced DNA. According to Ars Technica, the dissenting judges from the lower court painted a melodramatic picture, saying, "a person desiring to keep her DNA profile private, must conduct her public affairs in a hermetically sealed hazmat suit."
"It's unlikely cops will be swabbing Chipotle chairs for evidence anytime soon, but now it looks like they probably could," The Verge notes.