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Principles of Forensic DNA for Officers of the Court

Cupp v. Murphy

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Closeup photo dirty fingertips
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) (see reuse policy).

In another decision, Cupp v. Murphy, the Court allowed police to take fingernail scrapings from a suspect when there appeared to be a blood stain on/under the nail. The Court's reasoning focused in large part on "the very limited intrusion undertaken incident to the station house detention, and the ready destructibility of the evidence. . . " 8

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