Nation IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Court Use of DNA Tests Questioned

A federal report on DNA fingerprinting, a genetic technique for identifying criminal suspects, says it should not be used in court unless a more scientific basis is established, the New York Times reported. The report by the National Academy of Sciences says courts should cease to admit DNA evidence until standards have been improved and the technique has been more scientifically established. The technique, which relies on the differences between each individual’s DNA, allows a person to be identified from tiny scraps of body tissue found at crime scenes. The report says the technology is valid in principle but that questions remain about the way it is used.