Prosecution by DNA: New Tool Revives Old Cases ; States Loosen Statutes of Limitations, Eying the Use of Genetic Code as Evidence. but System Is Overburdened

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DNA technology is revolutionizing police work, and the criminal- justice system is struggling to catch up with it.

As the science - which can extract a person's genetic code from skin, hair, or fluids - is honed to near-precision, states are reconsidering rules of prosecution forged in an era of old- fashioned detective work.

Just last week, New York police beat a five-year statute of limitations by a matter of days to indict a serial rapist based solely on a DNA sample. The suspect's name is still unknown. Also, officers in White Plains, N.Y., used DNA to charge a jailed bank robber with a 21-year-old murder.

Now, several states are abolishing …