Prosecutorial Accountability
Prosecutorial overreaching and misconduct distort the truth-finding process and taint the credibility of the criminal justice system, including the outcomes they generate. When prosecutors’ fundamental obligations are ignored and individuals’ rights are violated in order to secure a conviction, little can be done to rectify the wrongs inflicted upon the individuals involved and on the system itself.
Government Accountability Office, Report to Congressional Committees, Professional Misconduct: DOJ Could Strengthen Procedures for Disciplining Its Attorneys (December 2014)
.JPG "Seminar Co-Chair Gerald H. Goldstein moderating a panel on prosecutorial misconduct at NACDL's 6th Annual Defending the White Collar Case Seminar held in New York City in September 2010.")
NACDL is dedicated to attaining meaningful, systemic reform to help prevent the insidious harm caused when a prosecutor carelessly, or purposefully, fails in his or her duties to us all. Prosecutorial overreaching and misconduct distort the truth-finding process and taint the credibility of the criminal justice system, including the outcomes they generate. When prosecutors’ fundamental obligations are ignored and individuals’ rights are violated in order to secure a conviction, little can be done to rectify the wrongs inflicted upon the individuals involved and on the system itself.
So long as this prosecutorial misconduct plagues the criminal justice system, NACDL will be on the frontlines seeking to enact effective barriers to such conduct and to ensure the rights of affected individuals are protected.
For more information on NACDL's work to provide the victims of prosecutorial misconduct with relief, read NACDL's Board Resolution regarding Reform of the Hyde Amendment and the White Collar Crime Committee Report on Reform the Hyde Amendment.
Additional resources on prosecutorial misconduct and possible reform
- Legislation, Model Laws, Ethics Rules & Other Commentary
- Case Examples of Prosecutorial Misconduct
- Law Reviews and Other Publications
- Department of Justice Materials
- Discovery Reform Overview
- Federal Discovery Reform
Pictured above: Seminar Co-Chair Gerald H. Goldstein moderating a panel on prosecutorial misconduct at NACDL's 6th Annual Defending the White Collar Case Seminar held in New York City in September 2010.
