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NORTH BERGEN – Senator Nicholas J. Sacco, sponsor of the law that created New Jersey’s criminal DNA database, pointed to today’s news that new DNA evidence convinced a judge to vacate the 20-year-old rape and murder conviction of Byron Halsey as “one example of the power of DNA to find the truth in some of our toughest criminal cases.”

“Today’s ruling shows just how powerful a tool the State’s DNA database is for our law enforcement community,” said Senator Sacco, D-Bergen and Hudson. “Not only has it helped an innocent man get out of a life sentence, but it will ensure that the real perpetrator of these horrible acts will answer for what he did 20 years ago.”

NORTH BERGEN – Senator Nicholas J. Sacco, the State’s leading proponent of DNA fingerprinting of convicted criminals, vowed today to move forward with legislation this session that would increase the effectiveness of New Jersey’s DNA database.

“DNA fingerprinting has proven to be an invaluable tool for New Jersey’s law enforcement community,” said Senator Sacco, D-Bergen and Hudson. “The database now has about 130,000 samples which can help in quickly identifying suspects, convicting the guilty and exonerating the innocent. This technology has made our streets safer and our criminal justice system fairer.”