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Improving Prosecutorial Accountability the JUSTICE PROJECT Improving Prosecutorial Accountability THE A Policy Review JUSTICE PROJECT By John F. Terzano, Esq., Joyce A. McGee, Esq., & Alanna D. Holt “ The prosecutor has more power over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America.” —UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL AND SUPREME COURT JusTICE ROBERT H. JACKSON EDUCATION THE JUSTICE PROJECT FUND ABOUT THE JUSTICE PROJECT “ The prosecutor has The Justice Project (TJP) is a non-profit, non- partisan organization dedicated to improving the more power over life, fairness and accuracy of the criminal justice system. TJP’s Campaign for Criminal Justice Reform seeks liberty, and reputation to reaffirm America’s core commitment to fairness than any other person and accuracy. By designing and implementing THE Improving Prosecutorial JUSTICE national and state-based reform efforts, the Accountability PROJECT in America.” Campaign for Criminal Justice Reform addresses A Policy Review —UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL significant flaws in the American criminal justice By John F. Terzano, Esq., Joyce A. McGee, Esq., & Alanna D. Holt system. AND SUPREME COURT JusTICE ROBERT H. JACKSON THE JUSTICE PROJECT StaFF John F. Terzano, President Joyce A. McGee, Executive Director Robert L. Schiffer, Executive Vice President TABLE OF CONTENTS Kirk Noble Bloodsworth, Program Officer Edwin Colfax, Director of State Campaigns Executive Summary ...................................................... 2 Rosa Maldonado, Controller Recommendations & Solutions .................................... 5 Leah Lavin, Development Coordinator Alanna Holt, Policy Coordinator Legal Landscape ........................................................ 16 Lauren Brice, Policy Associate Benefits and Costs ..................................................... 17 Amber Rudolphi, Intern Profiles of Injustice ..................................................... 18 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Snapshots of Success ................................................. 21 The Justice Project would like to express special thanks to the following people for their contributions Voices of Support ....................................................... 23 in the development of this policy review: Model Policy .............................................................. 24 Professor Bennett Gershman, Pace Law School Christopher Hill, State Strategies Coordinator, Literature .................................................................... 29 ACLU Capital Punishment Project Timothy P. O’Toole, Miller & Chevalier, Chtd., Endnotes .................................................................... 30 Washington D.C. Former TJP Staff and Interns: Delia Herrin, Eric NATIONAL AGENDA FOR REFORM James, and Daniel Aaron Weir. Graphic design by Barking Dog Design. The Justice Project (TJP) has developed a national program of initiatives designed to address the policies and procedures that lead to errors and contribute to wrongful convictions. TJP advocates for 1) improvements in For information on ordering additional copies of eyewitness identification procedures; 2) electronic recording of custodial this report, contact our office at (202) 638-5855 interrogations; 3) higher standards for admitting in-custody informant or [email protected]. testimony at trial; 4) expanded discovery in criminal cases; 5) improvements 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW, Third Floor in forensic testing procedures; 6) greater access to post-conviction DNA Washington, DC 20005 testing; 7) proper standards for the appointment and performance of counsel (202) 638-5855 • Fax (202) 638-6056 in capital cases; and 8) improving prosecutorial accountability. www.thejusticeproject.org As part of its efforts to increase fairness and accuracy in the criminal justice Texas Office system, TJP is developing comprehensive policy reviews on each of the 510 S. Congress Avenue, Suite 304 eight reform initiatives outlined above. The policy reviews are designed to Austin, TX 78704 provide necessary information to policymakers, legal and law enforcement (512) 391-2320 • Fax (512) 391-2330 practitioners, advocates, and other stakeholders about the best practices www.thejusticeproject.org/state/texas within these reform areas, the reasoning behind these necessary changes in ©2009 The Justice Project — All Rights Reserved. procedure, their practical effect, and the costs and benefits of implementation. For more information, please visit www.thejusticeproject.org. 1 WWW.TH E JUS T IC E PRO J EC T.ORG EDUCATION THE JUSTICE PROJECT FUND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY rosecutors are arguably the most powerful fig- Pures in the American criminal justice system. PROSECUTORIAL ACCOUNTABILITY Prosecutors are heavily involved in the investiga- RECOMMENDATIONS tion of crimes; they are solely responsible for what charges, plea bargains, and sentences a criminal 1) States should require that prosecutors’ offic- defendant will face; and they have complete control es adopt and enforce clearly defined policies over what evidence will be disclosed to the defense and procedures. 1 during discovery. The decisions of prosecutors have 2) States should require open-file discovery in far-reaching consequences on defendants, victims, criminal cases. their respective families, and the general public. These broad powers reflect the prosecution’s unique 3) States should require that prosecutors doc- role in the criminal justice system as defined by the ument all agreements with witnesses and Supreme Court: “not that it shall win a case, but that jailhouse informants, especially concerning justice shall be done.”2 The role of the prosecutor is conferment of benefits of any kind. not just one of an advocate, but rather an “admin- 4) States should require trial and appellate istrator of justice” whose ultimate goal is to protect judges to report all cases of prosecutorial the innocent, convict the guilty, and guard the rights misconduct—including cases where the mis- of the accused.3 Prosecutors—unlike defense attor- conduct is ruled to be harmless error. neys—do not advocate for a single individual; they 5) States should establish a prosecutorial review advocate for a just outcome. board with the power to investigate allega- Given the special duties of prosecutors and the tions of misconduct and impose sanctions. broad power they exercise in the criminal justice 6) States should require that prosecutors par- system, it is critically important that prosecutors con- ticipate in training and continuing education duct themselves responsibly and ethically. programs. Prosecutorial Misconduct Failure to comply with legal, ethical, and con- the use of unreliable in-custody informant testimony. stitutional obligations constitutes prosecutorial mis- Other forms include courtroom misconduct, mishan- conduct.4 In 2003, a study conducted by the Center dling of physical evidence, threatening or badgering for Public Integrity found that prosecutorial mis- witnesses, using false or misleading evidence, and conduct was a factor in dismissed charges, reversed improper behavior during grand jury proceedings.8 convictions, or reduced sentences in at least 2,012 While deliberate misconduct tends to be the cases since 1970.5 The study found that prosecuto- exception, unintentional misconduct and inadvertent rial misconduct led to the wrongful conviction of error occur with troubling regularity. The current thirty-two individuals.6 In these cases, prosecutors safeguards designed to prevent misuse of prosecu- suppressed exculpatory evidence, knowingly pre- torial power—such as appellate review of claims of sented false testimony, coerced witnesses, fabricated misconduct, judicial reporting of acts of miscon- evidence, and/or made false statements to the jury. duct, state bar disciplinary action, statewide codes of The most common form of prosecutorial mis- professional conduct, as well as internal systems of conduct is a failure to provide the defense team with accountability within prosecutors’ offices—fall short evidence that is favorable to the defendant.7 For in preventing prosecutorial misconduct and abuses example, in April of 2009, Attorney General Eric of power. In all aspects of the criminal justice system, Holder dismissed the indictment against former there is a dangerous and pervasive lack of prosecuto- Alaska Senator Ted Stevens because prosecutors in rial accountability. the case repeatedly withheld important evidence from The prevalence of prosecutorial misconduct the defense. Another common form of misconduct is within the criminal justice system undermines the 2 WWW.TH E JUS T IC E PRO J EC T.ORG EDUCATION THE JUSTICE PROJECT FUND accuracy of criminal trials and plays a direct hand in in jurisdictions with open-file discovery rules find the wrongful convictions. Prosecutors’ offices, the courts, practice more efficient, with fewer reversals and retri- state bar disciplinary authorities, and the state itself als, and more cases resolved earlier in the process. must create mechanisms whereby prosecutors are held more accountable for their actions in the crimi- 3) States should require that prosecutors docu- nal justice system. Otherwise, abuse of prosecutorial ment all agreements with witnesses and jail- power and acts of misconduct will continue. house informants, especially concerning confer- In this policy review, The Justice Project recom- ment of benefits of any kind. mends states take the following actions to improve prosecutorial accountability: Prosecutorial decision making, by its very nature, occurs with little or no transparency. The
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