“Examples of prosecutor misconduct continue to draw attention across the country, “and they make the job of good-faith prosecutors harder by undermining the legitimacy of the criminal-justice system,” John Hollway, executive director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, writes in a Wall Street Journal commentary. He calls for preventive reforms at all levels of the criminal justice system, including standardization of full disclosure of evidence by prosecutors to reduce Brady rule violations.
He also urges more accountability for prosecutors who engage in intentional misconduct. He writes, “Legislative efforts for prosecutorial oversight or accountability have rarely passed, as district attorneys push for self-regulation.”
Instead of absolute immunity, Hollway adds, “Prosecutors should have the same qualified immunity that police officers have, so that citizens injured by intentional misconduct can seek fair compensation for their injury.”
Editors Note: The Quattrone Center has partnered with the John Jay Center on Media, Crime and Justice, which publishes The Crime Report.