Washington, DC (June 17, 2024) – Prosecutorial misconduct plagues the criminal legal system, and defense attorneys play a crucial role in exposing it. As evidenced by numerous cases brought to light by the Florida defense bar, it is rampant in that state and corrective action is long overdue. As widely reported, the most recent case involves unethical and unconstitutional use of a jailhouse informant, a recurrent theme in the annals of law enforcement and prosecutorial misconduct and an issue that is ripe for reform. NACDL joins the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and its Miami Chapter in calling for the States Attorney to take immediate action, including the creation of an ethics oversight unit, to address the prosecutorial misconduct and determine its root causes. “Until this serious problem is remedied, our legal system will continue to suffer, and the respect accorded it by the public will continue to diminish,” said Michael P. Heiskell, President of NACDL.
Contacts
Jessie Diamond, NACDL Public Affairs and Communications Strategist, 202-465-7647 or jdiamond@nacdl.org
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's many thousands of direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal legal system.