Evidence Preservation in Oregon

State statute requires the automatic preservation of biological evidence collected in criminal investigations for aggravated murder, murder, rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, unlawful sexual penetration in the first degree, aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter in the first degree or manslaughter in the second degree. The evidence must be maintained for sixty years from the date of conviction or until the death of each person convicted of the offense, whichever is earlier; or until each person convicted of the offense has completed the sentence, for certain offenses. When no person has been convicted, evidence must be retained until the statute of limitations has run. Effective: 2011.

Oregon’s statute meets the best practices standards outlined by the NIST Technical Working Group on Biological Evidence Preservation.

Read the statutes O.R.S. § 133.705 and O.R.S. § 133.707O.R.S. § 133.709O.R.S. § 133.713O.R.S. § 133.715O.R.S. § 133.717.