New York can resume family DNA searches for crime suspects, court rules

New York’s highest court has ruled police can resume a DNA searching method that can identify relatives of potential suspects, a technique that has helped solve crimes but has caused privacy concerns. The method is known as familial DNA searches. It allows law enforcement agencies to search information in their DNA databases to find blood relatives of people who have left genetic material at a crime scene. The order from the New York Court of Appeals on Tuesday allows the state to use such searches in criminal cases, reversing a lower court ruling from last year that blocked the practice.