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Analyzing the DNA samples of juveniles who have not been found guilty of any crime is an unconstitutional warrantless search, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

In a unanimous decision, the justices said the state may force juveniles accused of certain serious offenses to provide a DNA sample. Justice Andrew Hurwitz, writing for the court, said that is little different than fingerprints or mug shots.

But Hurwitz said that legal parallel ceases to exist once the state submits that sample for processing by the Department of Public Safety crime laboratory.

He said that by doing the lab processing, the state obtains "uniquely identifying information about individual genetics."

What it also means, Hurwitz said, is that DNA profile is placed into both state and national databases so police agencies can use it to see if a youth is linked to any unsolved crimes. The justices said that, absent a juvenile actually being found delinquent of a crime, there is no reason for the government to have that information.

"Having a DNA profile before adjudication may conceivably speed such investigations," he wrote...