QUICK TAKES - Oct. 22, 2009
Lil Wayne’s gun possession case is putting a leading edge of DNA science under a microscope.
As the Grammy-winning rapper sat in a Manhattan court on Wednesday, a hearing began on a debated, highly sensitive DNA profiling technique used to tie him to a gun found on his tour bus in 2007.
Proponents see the process as a powerful tool for closing cases by identifying people from the DNA in just a handful of cells. Skeptics question its reliability.
For Lil Wayne, it could be a crucial piece of a case that carries a minimum 3 1/2 -year prison term if he’s convicted. He has pleaded not guilty to illegal gun possession charges. The hearing on the scientific status of the DNA technique is expected to extend for days; his trial is due to start Jan. 20.
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