Prosecutorial Misconduct and Abuses

The Durham County District Attorney’s handling of rape allegations against Duke University lacrosse players has Americans questioning their confidence in the American criminal justice system. On October 10, Brookings hosted a discussion on prosecutorial misconduct, examining its frequency at the state and federal levels, the circumstances under which it is most likely to occur and strategies to minimize its impact.

Benjamin Wittes, fellow and research director in public law at Brookings, moderated the discussion. The panel featured Stuart Taylor, Jr., nonresident senior fellow and co-author with KC Johnson of Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007); James Comey, former U.S. Deputy Attorney General, and Steven Benjamin, a criminal defense lawyer with the law firm Benjamin & DesPortes.