Conspiracy to Convict: Prosecutorial Misconduct in Orleans Parish

• In Event: Miscarriages of Justice: Prosecutorial Misconduct

Abstract

The problem of malfeasance on the part of district attorneys in Orleans Parish, Louisiana is legendary, in fact the city of New Orleans has been referred to in the past as ‘ground zero’ for prosecutorial misconduct. An unfortunate result of these actions has been the wrongful conviction of a number of individuals. Given the 2011 decision in Connick v. Thompson, which is thought to further enhance impunity for prosecutors who continue to commit Brady violations, and the recent closure of the Conviction Integrity and Accuracy Project in New Orleans, the prospects for defendants is not promising. The objective of this research project was to explore prosecutorial misconduct, from the perspective of those who have experienced it: district attorneys, defense attorneys and the wrongly convicted themselves. While interviews were conducted only with these latter two groups, due to inaccessibility of the former, they nonetheless raised some interesting questions about due process, accountability, fairness and the impact of the consequences (or lack thereof) for violating ethical rules. Interviewees shared their experiences and perspectives on moving towards change.

Author

• Kathryn M. Campbell, University of Ottawa