Protecting the Independence of Prosecutors and Defenders

In the eyes of many observers, the American system of criminal justice has become more politicized than in the past. Elected prosecutors have always had to deal with the pressures of running for office, but now they face recalls in some jurisdictions and removal from office in others. Public defenders have always had to face legislatures not anxious to fund criminal defense, but in some places now they face pressures as to how to handle their cases and caseloads. The discussion will focus on the difference between legitimate and illegitimate pressures on prosecutors and defenders and whether the Criminal Justice Section should seek to develop ABA policy on this subject.

Moderator:
Steve A. Saltzburg, Wallace and Beverley Woodbury University Professor of Law; Co-Director of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Program, Washington, DC

Speakers:
Sara Alpert Lawson, Partner, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, Baltimore, MD and Tampa, FL

Hon. Sidney Allen Butcher, District Court Judge, Maryland Judiciary, Annapolis, Maryland

Hon. Bernice Donald, Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Eads, TN

Keisha Hudson, Chief Defender, Philadelphia Public Defender Office, Philadelphia, PA

Rosemary Nidiry, Senior Counsel, Justice Program, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, New York, NY

Andrew Warren, Twice-Elected, Once-Removed Prosecutor, Hillsborough Co., Florida

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