[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 168 (Tuesday, August 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 52445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22071]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Justice

[OJP(NIJ)-1295]


Meeting of the Working Groups of the National Commission on the 
Future of DNA Evidence

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, 
Justice.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: Announcement of a meeting of members of the working groups of 
the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence to discuss an 
issue in brief regarding suspect/elimination sample DNA databases.

DATES: The meeting will take place on Sunday, September 24, 2000 from 
12 p.m. to 5 p.m., ET, and on Monday, September 25, 2000 from 9 a.m. to 
5 p.m., ET.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Empire Hotel located at 
44 West 63rd Street, New York, NY 10023; Phone: (212) 265-7400.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher H. Asplen, AUSA, Executive 
Director. Phone: (202) 616-8123. [This is not a toll-free number]. 
Anyone requiring special accommodations should contact Mr. Asplen in 
advance of the meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Authority: This action is authorized under the Omnibus Crime 
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, sections 201-03, as amended, 
42 U.S.C. 3721-23 (1994).

Background

    The National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence, established 
pursuant to section 3(2)A of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 
5 U.S.C. App. 2, will meet to carry out its advisory functions under 
sections 201-202 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
1968, as amended. This meeting will be open to the public.
    The purpose of the National Commission on the Future of DNA 
Evidence is to provide the Attorney General with recommendations on the 
use of current and future DNA methods, applications and technologies in 
the operation of the criminal justice system, from the crime scene to 
the courtroom. Over the course of its Charter, the Commission will 
review critical policy issues regarding DNA evidence and provide 
recommended courses of action to improve its use as a tool of 
investigation and adjudication in criminal cases.
    The Commission will address issues in five specific areas: (1) The 
use of DNA in postconviction relief cases, (2) legal concerns including 
Daubert challenges and the scope of discovery in DNA cases, (3) 
criteria for training and technical assistance for criminal justice 
professionals involved in the identification, collection and 
preservation of DNA evidence at the crime scene, (4) essential 
laboratory capabilities in the face of emerging technologies, and (5) 
the impact of future technological developments in the use of DNA in 
the criminal justice system. Each topic will be the focus of the in-
depth analysis by separate working groups comprised of prominent 
professionals who will report back to the Commission.

    Dated: August 24, 2000.
Doug Horner,
Acting Assistant Director, National Institute of Justice.
[FR Doc. 00-22071 Filed 8-28-00; 8:45 am]
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