John G. Roberts

“ Indeed, the decision below has direct effects beyond Maryland: Because the DNA samples Maryland collects may otherwise be eligible for the FBI's national DNA database, the decision renders the database less effective for other States and the Federal Government. These factors make it reasonably probable that the Court will grant certiorari to resolve the split on the question presented. In addition, given the considered analysis of courts on the other side of the split, there is a fair prospect that this Court will reverse the decision below. ”

“ According to Maryland, from 2009—the year Maryland began collecting samples from arrestees—to 2011, "matches from arrestee swabs [from Maryland] have resulted in 58 criminal prosecutions." Application 16. Collecting DNA from individuals arrested for violent felonies provides a valuable tool for investigating unsolved crimes and thereby helping to remove violent offenders from the general population. Crimes for which DNA evidence is implicated tend to be serious, and serious crimes cause serious injuries. ”

“ The split implicates an important feature of day-to-day law enforcement practice in approximately half the States and the Federal Government. Reply to Memorandum in Opposition 3; see 114 Stat. 2728, as amended, 42 U. S. C. §14135a (a) (1) (A) (authorizing the Attorney General to "collect DNA samples from individuals who are arrested, facing charges, or convicted") . ”