When Prosecutors Run Amok

For the second time in the history of our republic, we face a public crisis of confidence in federal prosecutors, prompted by a flood of cases of misconduct and the political abuse of prosecutorial authority. This problem peaked in the Bush years, but there is no reason to believe that Eric Holder is doing much to turn the situation around. Some of the most abusive cases are just plodding along. I discussed these issues and offered some suggestions for addressing them in a speech (PDF) to the Rotary Club of New York and the American Constitution Society delivered in Manhattan yesterday.