Washington, DC (June 17, 2024) –Prosecutorial misconduct plagues the criminal legal system, and defense attorneys play a crucial role in exposing it. As evidenced by numerous cases brought to light by the Florida defense bar, it is rampant in that state and corrective action is long overdue. As widely reported, the most recent case involves unethical and unconstitutional use of a jailhouse informant, a recurrent theme in the annals of law enforcement and prosecutorial misconduct and an issue that is ripe for reform. NACDL joins the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and its Miami Chapter in calling for the States Attorney to take immediate action, including the creation of an ethics oversight unit, to address the prosecutorial misconduct and determine its root causes. "Until this serious problem is remedied, our legal system will continue to suffer, and the respect accorded it by the public will continue to diminish," said Michael P. Heiskell, President of NACDL.
