DNA Data Bank Oversight Panel

Minutes of the Meeting of September 11, 2018
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) Forensic Science Laboratory
Meriden, Connecticut

The meeting convened at 9:43 a.m. Present at the meeting were Patricia Johannes, DESPP-Forensic Lab; Megan Olt, DESPP-Forensic Lab; Janet Ainsworth, DESPP-Legal; Robert Dearington, Office of the Attorney General; Elizabeth Tugie, Department of Correction; Darcy McGraw, Connecticut Innocence Project; and Michael Gailor, Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.

The minutes of the meeting on June 12, 2018, were unanimously approved.

The lab reported that as of September 11, 2018, a total of 122,309 convicted offender samples have been submitted to the lab; 803 were submitted between June 12 and September 11 of this year. Of these samples, 6,832 were determined to be duplicate submissions. One hundred fourteen thousand eight hundred thirty-three have been profiled and reside in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Four hundred sixty-one convicted offender samples are waiting to be processed/entered into CODIS.

There are 12,542 profiles in the Forensic Index. One thousand nine hundred eight incomplete cases are assigned to DNA and 1,126 are assigned to Forensic Biology.

The lab reported that 5,239 investigations have been aided so far by 5,248 confirmed hits. Approximately 36 candidate matches are under evaluation. The average time it takes to send out notification of the hit once it has been obtained is fourteen days.

The Department of Correction reported that it has 432 samples from inmates since the last meeting and 1,075 in the year to date. Currently, 118 inmates have refused to provide a sample in violation of the statutes.

Janet Ainsworth from DESPP Legal reported that several grants have been approved including a grant to test sexual assault kits. The joint grant for post-conviction DNA testing in cases where hair comparison testimony was used has also been approved.

Darcy McGraw from the Connecticut Innocence Project reported that they have hired an attorney to work on the grant to review the cases involving hair comparison testimony.

At 10:14 a.m. the Oversight Committee went into executive session. As a result of the discussion in executive session, the Committee decided that sample 9/11/18-A should be purged from the data bank if the profile obtained has already been entered and disposed of if the profile has not yet been entered into the data bank.

The next meeting of the Oversight Committee is scheduled for December 11, 2018.

At 10:22 a.m., the meeting was adjourned.