She may be a mild-mannered receptionist by day, but it was Justine Faeth's voracious appetite for "Law and Order" that helped her apprehend a long-time criminal. When she heard that her office had suffered a bold midday robbery of a wallet and personal electronics, Faeth remembered that an unidentified man had just asked for a cup of water, which he drank from before leaving behind.
"When they are trying to get DNA from a suspect on 'SVU' and that person is unwilling to give them a sample, they trick them into drinking water and then use that as evidence," Faeth explained.
At first the police dismissed her, saying they only use DNA samples in murders and rapes. But the next day they reversed their course, and found the DNA collected from the cup matched Kevin Moore, who was in the database for committing 10 similar robberies.
On a personal note, let us know if you can think of any profession that wouldn't be made hotter by the addition of the adjective "crime-fighting."
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Comments:
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Wednesday 26 August
By jbjg24m
who says that tvisn't educational ?
Reply
Sunday 30 August
By Jaden
I remember the technique from both L&O and SVU but unless you got Jack McCoy on your side the defense attorney will have it thrown out for being illegally gained without their client's consent.
Wednesday 26 August
By Patricia Boyer
very smart and at last the cops see the light.they should never turn down any lead offered, you never know where it will lead.
Reply
Wednesday 26 August
By Mike Fussell
Hmmm. Yep. That's what leads do. They LEAD!!!! Well said, well spoken. Think before you post...........
Wednesday 26 August
By nonny2t
You go girl! Glad the police wised up and finally realized the public is not always stupid idiots! Terrific job!
Reply
Wednesday 26 August
By Charlie
It's not because they didn't want to use the evidence, it's the cost.... the cops don't want to spent hundreds of dollars to extract DNA for a stolen wallet. I know it sounds bad, but it's all about cost effectiveness for the drime.
Wednesday 26 August
By steve B
Now I feel sad for her. Because now that she "provided" evidence, she better get a lawyer. The suspects lawyer will come after her and say she tricked and manufactured evidence. Something that Law and Order should be warning to people to let the police do thier job properly. This guy is going to get scott free.
Reply
Wednesday 26 August
By Dee Dee
The suspect asked for a cup of water. Pay attention.
Wednesday 26 August
By Beatrice
How do you think she tricked him? How do you think she got
HIS DNA on the cup from which he drank water?
...waiting....
Beatrice
Saturday 29 August
By Mona
Trash is fair game. Once you throw something away it is up for grabs. The suspect threw cup away so it can be used as evidence legally!!
Sunday 30 August
By Erik
The receptionist is a regular citizen. She is not required, as law enforcement officials are, to get a warrant or let someone they suspect of a crime that they are collecting evidence against them. I would hardly doubt that the suspect's attorney will have any leg to stand on.
No constitutional rights were violated by a regular citizen taking the cup that the suspect drank from and offering it to police. It is no different than if there was a kidnapping and the kidnapper hand wrote a note and the person who discovered the note also remembered that the handwriting was familiar to someone she worked with. She had a recollection, found a piece of paper on a co-worker's desk (who happened to not show up for a week) that matched the handwriting on the letter. The receptionist in this case collected what was left behind and that she would have access to in her line of work and gave it over to the authorities as possible evidence--as a lead to find the kidnapper. If it just so happened to match, no constitutional rights have been violated. She didn't burst into the man's home to get a writing sample or the cup that he drank from. His privacy was not violated given the circumstances of everyday relations between the two. And while a good defense attorney may try to argue his rights had been violated because its his job to cast reasonable doubt and raise an objection on every possible ground to defend his client--an even better (albeit competent) DA would know his caselaw and quash that argument for the crap that it is.
I say good job, miss secretary lady! Hooray!
Wednesday 26 August
By Notthatgullible
Quite a fairy tale told here. No police department can afford to use DNA for petty crimes. The back-log for major felonies is 2 years...
Congratulations to the writer for such a work of fiction.
Reply
Wednesday 26 August
By brizzman
Can't accuse the writer of this article for making this up, Notthatgullible. This story actually came from the NY Post. Click on the link in the first paragraph, the words: "apprehend a long-time criminal". They even have the guys mugshot. Maybe the police department made an exception in that DNA evidence 2-yr back log you're referring to that they may or may not have? Or maybe this police department CAN afford it?
Wednesday 26 August
By Lina B.
To which City are you referring? Just because your town may be 2 years behind (which is disgraceful) doesn't mean my boys in blue (the NYPD) are the same. Stop generalizing.
Wednesday 26 August
By anonymous
get a life and quit assuming stories are made up and get a job instead of posting here and i never check these posts after i reply LOL
Wednesday 26 August
By WilBarn
I agree. My neighbor let a "bum" stay with him & house sit and he stole $700.00 and some other items then urinated on the front door. We told the police there is proof...there is his DNA.
The police said they only use DNA on major crimes not petty robbry.
Wednesday 26 August
By Marshall
Great stuff for another comic book story
Reply
Friday 28 August
By floydr1938
I think it is a comic book story.
Wednesday 26 August
By JHELMS
AND SHE'S HOT TOO!
Reply
Wednesday 26 August
By charlotte
yes1 You go girl1 Yes it is about time police see that they can share the "smarts" with ordinary people. We are not "All" criminals out there like they usually treat the public and we are not all "stupid" like that treat the public and not all guilty until proven innocent like they mostly treat the public.. ...I know there are some "good" cops, but please get the "stupid" ones out of there, they give the "good" ones a bad rep.
Reply