Analyses
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2003 — Prosecutors collaborate year in, year out with the same group of police officers, forensic scientists and expert witnesses. They come to trust each other, developing bonds that sometimes lead to shortcuts. From a single actual innocence case comes a catalog of misconduct by prosecutors and their allies in the criminal justice system. >>
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2003 — Though it has become an accepted term in court opinions and legal journals, prosecutors argue that labeling their actions misconduct is misleading, and that it often is applied to honest mistakes. >>
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2003 — A1996 law has undermined the central protection of the accused—the right of habeas corpus—so severely that defendants convicted in unfair trials remain in prison, even some who appear to be innocent of the crime charged. >>
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2003 — A physician who botches an operation or an attorney in private practice whose incompetence costs his client a small fortune can both be sued for malpractice. A prosecutor who convicts a defendant of a crime he didn't commit, on the other hand, enjoys immunity from civil suits. >>
June 26, 2003 — University professors, a judge, an author best known for creating a fictional defense attorney, and a handful of journalists have studied the issue of prosecutorial misconduct over the years, raising public awareness and on occasion sparking reforms. >>
June 26, 2003 — In 28 cases, involving 32 separate defendants, misconduct by prosecutors led to the conviction of innocent individuals who were later exonerated. >>
June 26, 2003 — Every state has a disciplinary system under which lawyers can be punished for violating ethical standards. The Center found 42 prosecutors whose courtroom conduct was investigated by attorney ethics panels. >>