Congressman
Elton Gallegly
Serving the 24th District of California

http://www.house.gov/gallegly/press2006.htm

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 27, 2006

 Contact: Tom Pfeifer
(202) 225-5811

President Signs Gallegly DNA “Cold Hit” Bill

WASHINGTON, DC—President Bush today signed into law provisions championed by Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties) that will provide federal grants to local prosecutors to help them prosecute cases stemming from “cold hit” DNA cases – cases where DNA on file matches evidence in a previously unsolved crime.

Gallegly’s provisions were included in Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, which passed both the House and Senate earlier this week.

Gallegly and Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten, who brought the need for the DNA funding to Gallegly’s attention, were invited to the White House bill-signing ceremony by President Bush.

“DNA technology is solving crimes years and sometimes decades old,” Gallegly said. “Murderers, rapists and child molesters need to know they will be caught, prosecuted and pay for their crimes.”

The DNA provisions come from Gallegly’s bill, The Grants for DNA Backlog Prosecutions Act, which he introduced last year.

DNA cold hit cases tend to be complex murder and sexual assault crimes. In Ventura County alone, Totten estimated DNA cold hits could identify a perpetrator in more than 300 unsolved homicide cases.

“The number of rape and homicide cases solved through DNA technology is increasing at an astonishing rate every year and is quickly outpacing the ability of prosecutors to keep up,” Totten said. “In recognizing and attacking this national problem, Congressman Gallegly’s bill is a direct aid to victims in Ventura County and elsewhere who have longed to finally see justice done for their loved ones. Once again, Congressman Gallegly has demonstrated an unyielding commitment to law enforcement and crime victims.”

According to the California District Attorneys Association, the database averages three cold hit cases a day. As of late 2005, 1,200 cold hits had been made in California, with forecasts that it will lead to 4,000 new cases a year.

In addition to Gallegly’s provisions, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act would create a National Sex Offender Registry with uniform standards for the registration of sex offenders, including a lifetime registration requirement for the most serious offenders, and it establishes strong federal penalties for sex offenders who fail to register.

By creating a national sex offender registry, the bill enables child protective service officials in all 50 states to share information and more effectively investigate child abuse cases. The bill also imposes enhanced penalties for the most serious crimes against children, as well as mandatory minimum penalties for recidivist offenders.

The bill is named for Adam Walsh to honor the memory of the son of John and Revé Walsh, who was kidnapped and murdered 25 years ago, when he was only six years old.