Just caught a blurb on WRAL about House Bill 408, a proposal that would hold prosecutors/DA's harmless when evidence in police hands that might exonerate a defendant is not made available to the defense.
As someone who didn't spend years of her life behind bars for a crime she didn't commit . . . but who has (as the victim of white-collar crime) been TOTALLY STONEWALLED by the Randolph County DA maliciously & habitually & imtemperently exercising his "prosecutorial discretion" (just one of the many stories that the incredible - get it? - not credible - shrinking Courier Tribune won't tell) . . . I'm thinking that the DA's office doesn't need ANY more stonewalls to hide behind.
And blanket immunity that does not consider individual circumstances is almost always a mistake. Look no further than medical peer review.
The North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys is behind this bill. Spokeswoman, Peg Dorer, says current law makes district attorneys responsible for things they don't know exist.
But that's so much smoke up the backside. As indicated in the comments on the story, there are very simple ways for prosecutors to protect themselves in the event of a police screw-up . . . indeed, perhaps any new laws ought to impose criminal penalties on police who don't comply with the current law by giving everything they've got to the DA.
As for Dorer's lame soundbite, I suppose it would not be at all like being held responsible for a murder/crime you didn't commit.
The sponsors of this bill - who include John Faircloth of Guilford County - should be ashamed of themselves.
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