Supreme Court Worried About Stifling Prosecutors

The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared worried that allowing a poor prosecutor to be sued by a wrongfully convicted person might cause others to balk. In the case presented to the court, two former prosecutors of Pottawamie County, Iowa, were sued by the men they had convicted of first-degree murder. A later investigation found that the lawyers did not disclose at the trial that another suspect, who was more likely of having committed the crime, had been identified by witnesses and police.

The convictions were thrown out, though the lawyers argued unsuccessfully in the civil rights suits against them that they had immunity because they were just doing their job as prosecutors. Justices on the Supreme court said they were worried about the “chilling effect” ruling against them would have on other prosecutors.

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