prosecutorial misconduct news stories on Newser

Calif. Court Won't Dismiss Polanski Case

Nick McMaster — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:05:13 CST

A California appeals court won't drop the statutory rape case against Roman Polanski on the basis of alleged judicial misconduct. A 70-page opinion issued today acknowledged the " extremely serious allegations " the fugitive director's raised about alleged misconduct by the judge who first handled the case in 1977. Polanksi remains under...

Your Polanski Case FAQ

Kevin Spak — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:27:17 CDT

Scratching your head over this Roman Polanski business? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Here are some common questions and answers, courtesy of Slate: Why didn’t the French ever arrest the guy? Born in Paris, he's one of their own. France doesn’t have to extradite its citizens, and typically doesn’t...

Polanski Taunt Brought DA Down on Him

Kevin Spak — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:57:09 CDT

Roman Polanski may have his own lawyers to thank for his current predicament. This summer, in an attempt to get the charges against the director dropped, they told an appellate court that prosecutors weren’t actually trying to catch him, because they were afraid to face old misconduct allegations. That ticked...

In Stevens Case, Justice Was Served After All

Kevin Spak — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:54:00 CDT

Ted Stevens and his lawyers were awfully indignant yesterday for a crew that had just won. “You’d think there would be jubilation,” said Stevens’ attorney. Instead, “it was revulsion, revulsion turned to anger,” Brendan Sullivan raged. Stevens himself lamented that “consequences…can never be reversed.” In other words, writes Dana Milbank...

Stevens Not Likely to Recover Legacy

Sarah Quinn — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:10:44 CDT

Legally, Ted Stevens is off the hook. But it's unlikely he'll be able to regain his stature, or the Senate honors he might otherwise have been afforded, Laurie Kellman writes for the AP. His peers were notably restrained in response to yesterday's news that Justice is likely to void the...

Mom Hatches Sexy Plan to Free Convicted Son

Ambreen Ali — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 13:22:40 CST

A Brooklyn mother's bid to have her son's murder conviction overturned reads like a Hollywood script. The married 46-year-old got a makeover, hit the gym, rented an apartment under an alias, then strutted around a juror's neighborhood in six-inch heels and a push-up bra. She taped their flirtatious encounters and...

'I Have Not Been Convicted of Anything': Stevens

Nick McMaster — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:11:44 CDT

Ted Stevens said he had “not been convicted of anything,” during a debate last night with the Democratic challenger to his Alaska Senate seat, Politico reports—despite being convicted Monday on corruption charges. The 84-year old Republican alleges prosecutorial misconduct and plans an appeal, though top GOP figures—including John...

Duke DA Faces Ethics Charges

Dustin Lushing — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 21:04:00 CDT

North Carolina DA Mike Nifong, who spearheaded the rape and kidnapping case against three Duke lacrosse players, now faces his own set of charges for withholding evidence, making inappropriate public comments about the case, and lying to a judge and state bar investigators. His trial in front of a disciplinary...