LAWS4460 · Law

Prosecutorial Ethics

Boston College Law School

A criminal prosecutor must reconcile the ethical obligation to "seek justice" with personal incentives to "win" cases and professional obligations to protect the public. We will examine the areas of prosecutorial decisionmaking that bring these competing goals into sharpest conflict. Topics will include the use and abuse of the grand jury; issues of overcharging and selective prosecution; discovery practice; the use of informants; pretrial publicity; plea negotiations; jury selection; trial conduct; and prosecutions of mental health cases. Class participation is considered in the final grade.