2019 New Jersey Revised Statutes
Title 2A - Administration of Civil and Criminal Justice
Section 2A:84A-32c - Procedures for DNA testing at accredited non-NDIS participating laboratory.
2A:84A-32c Procedures for DNA testing at accredited non-NDIS participating laboratory.
2. a. If a party seeks to conduct DNA testing at an accredited non-NDIS participating laboratory that otherwise meets the requirements set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection e. of section 1 of P.L.2001, c.377 (C.2A:84A-32a) and the party seeks to submit the DNA profile information to CODIS in accordance with subsection l. of section 1 of P.L.2001, c.377 (C.2A:84A-32a) the party, upon notice to the Attorney General and to the NDIS-participating laboratory, may request the court to order the NDIS-participating laboratory within the State to evaluate whether the laboratory at which the party seeks to conduct DNA testing is in compliance with the FBI Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories for the purpose of uploading crime scene profiles to CODIS. The Attorney General may appear on the motion on his own behalf or on behalf of the NDIS-participating laboratory, if that laboratory is a public entity.
b. The court may order the NDIS-participating laboratory to conduct an evaluation pursuant to subsection b. of this section only if the court finds that the moving party clearly demonstrates:
(1) the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences DNA Laboratory is not able to, or for practical reasons has determined not to, perform the specific testing and analysis sought by the moving party, or that its performance of the testing and analysis would not be substantially equivalent to that of the other laboratory, or that the testing would not otherwise be appropriate;
(2) there is a significant likelihood that, if the results of the requested DNA testing were favorable to the moving party, a motion for a new trial based upon newly discovered evidence would be granted;
(3) requiring the NDIS-participating laboratory to conduct the evaluation will not delay investigations or unduly burden the resources of the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences DNA Laboratory or other NDIS-participating laboratory that may be involved in the matter; and
(4) if an evaluation were undertaken, there would be a reasonable likelihood that the results of the evaluation would conclude in a finding by the NDIS-participating laboratory that the laboratory at which the party seeks to conduct DNA testing is in compliance with the FBI Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories for the purpose of uploading crime scene profiles to CODIS, and that the results of that laboratory's DNA testing, if a DNA profile is generated, would comply with federal requirements for inclusion in CODIS.
c. If the court orders an evaluation pursuant to subsection b. of this section, within 120 days of receiving the court's order, the NDIS-participating laboratory shall complete the pre-approval process to determine if the non-NDIS-participating laboratory at which the party seeks to conduct DNA testing is in compliance with FBI Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories, by obtaining and reviewing the records of an on-site visit and assessment conducted by the FBI or another NDIS-participating laboratory. If an on-site visit and assessment have not been conducted within the time frames required by federal law or the laboratory does not comply with other applicable standards, or the results of an on-site visit and assessment are unavailable, the NDIS-participating laboratory may, within the limits of available resources, conduct its own on-site visit and assessment of the laboratory at which the party seeks to conduct DNA testing, provided that the laboratory agrees to cooperate with the on-site visit and assessment and the moving party bears the costs associated with the on-site visit and assessment.
d. In the event that the requirements set forth in the FBI Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories following the effective date of P.L.2015, c.127 (C.2A:84A-32c et al.) are amended or otherwise superseded, the NDIS-participating laboratory shall complete such other process as may be prescribed for the assessment of non-NDIS-participating laboratories.
e. A determination by the NDIS-participating laboratory as to whether the laboratory at which the party seeks to conduct DNA testing is in compliance with FBI Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories shall not be subject to judicial review.
L.2015, c.127, s.2.
