Justice Delayed . . . and Delayed and Delayed

And on April 5, the wheels virtually ground to a halt. That's when D.C. Superior Court Judge Rhonda Reid Winston ruled that DNA evidence against Jenkins could not be used in his trial. At issue was whether the prosecution could use the FBI's "random match probability," which measures the estimated frequency or rarity with which a particular DNA profile is expected to occur in a given population. The rarity of a DNA profile is important because the prosecution intended to have its expert testify that Jenkins was the source of the blood samples. Jenkins's lawyers argued that the FBI "random match probability" approach was not generally accepted among scientists and should not be presented to a jury. The judge sided with Jenkins.

From the April 5 transcript:

"Where does that leave us, counsel?" Judge Winston asked Michael Ambrosino, assistant U.S. attorney.

"Probably in the Court of Appeals, your Honor," Ambrosino replied.

Judge Winston: "Oh, how I know. All right."

But is it all right? In a written note, Michele Gehrke asks of the local political luminaries who attended her cousin's funeral, "Where are you now?" I can't answer for them. This much, however, is true: Since Dennis Dolinger's murder in June 1999, the nation's capital has racked up 1,482 homicides. Official mourners are stretched thin.

So many murders, such limited time for pursuing each case . . . or doing justice.

kingc@washpost.com