DNA, the First Stop in Indicting Sex Crime Perps

New York is implementing a new plan deal with the statute of limitations on sex crimes. Mayor Bloomberg announced The John Doe Indictment Project. A "dedicated team of prosecutors, scientists, and investigators" "will identify the most serious unsolved sex crimes and indict the perpetrators – even before they are apprehended – based upon their DNA profiles."

One example used was a series of rapes in Harlem in 1991 and 1992, which was only solved in March with DNA. However, the statute bars any action. Mayor Bloomberg said, "We know his name, We know where to find him and we know with scientific certainty that he is guilty...Yet there is absolutely nothing we can do about it. That's plain unacceptable."

Legal advocates and scholars are split on the issue: The NY Civil Liberties Union calls it a violation of due process; a law professor says, "I personally don't see why anybody has a right to say, `Well, my time has run out and they can't find me.' This is a pretty good way to respond to that."