What's happening
This bill requires judges to instruct juries that biometric evidence alone cannot determine the outcome in criminal trials.
Why it matters
Protects against overreliance on biometric evidence. By requiring judges to instruct juries that biometric evidence (like fingerprints, facial recognition, or DNA) cannot alone determine a verdict, the bill aims to reduce the risk of wrongful convictions based solely on potentially flawed or misinterpreted technology.
Acknowledges limitations and potential errors in biometric technologies. The bill recognizes that biometric methods, while useful, are not infallible and can produce false positives or be misapplied, particularly with certain populations or under poor conditions.
Promotes more holistic jury deliberations. The instruction encourages juries to weigh all the evidence in a case, not just biometric data, reinforcing the need for corroboration and critical analysis before reaching a verdict.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Jury Limits Biometric Evidence
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History
- Referred to codes
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
10412
IN ASSEMBLY
May 4, 2020
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to allowing a jury instruction stating biometric evidence shall not be dispositive in the jury's decision
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 300.10 of the criminal procedure law is amended by adding a new subdivision 2-a to read as follows:
2-a. In any criminal trial or proceeding, upon the request of a party, the court shall instruct the jury as follows: "Any presentation of biometric evidence shall not be dispositive in the jury's decision."
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14220-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.