Misconduct in prosecutorial leadership and decision making

Abstract

Prosecutors are politically elected officials entrusted with the sensitive responsibilities of prosecuting law violators. The strength and admissibility of evidence is tantamount to a successful prosecution, not politics, personal views, or other outside influences. And, the Supreme Court has ruled that prosecutors must ensure justice is achieved for crime victims and criminal defendants alike. However, outside influences, personal views, and other factors may influence a prosecutor’s leadership and decision making in some criminal cases. Since the office of prosecution is an elected position, their success is based on convictions whether achieved through plea bargaining or a guilty verdict at trial. This chapter examines criminal cases in which prosecutorial leadership strategies and decisions have circumvented justice in the name of politics or political correctness. The lack of evidence or withholding of evidence in these cases suggests that some prosecutors are more interested in personal or political interests rather than justice.

Citation

Meadows, R.J. (2013), "Misconduct in prosecutorial leadership and decision making", Collective Efficacy: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on International Leadership (Advances in Educational Administration, Vol. 20), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 325-337. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3660(2013)0000020018