The Los Angeles Times is reporting that hundreds of prosecutors in California have committed prosecutorial misconduct, and authorities failed to either report or discipline them, according to a study conducted by the Santa Clara University School of Law. The misconduct ranged from asking witnesses improper questions during trial to failing to turn over evidence that could help a defendant and presenting false evidence. Researchers discovered 707 cases in which state and federal courts and appellate courts found prosecutorial misconduct in opinions issued between 1997 and 2009. Of those, 67 prosecutors committed misconduct in more than one case, including three who committed misconduct four times and two who did so five times. The report stated that while most prosecutors behave ethically, the state bar needs to do a better job of disciplining prosecutors to deter misconduct. Otherwise, there is no motivation for following the law or ethical rules. We concur.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times.