Oversight of prosecutorial decision making and conduct
Georgia State University College of Law
85 Park Place NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
Ceremonial Courtroom
Friday, August 18, 2023
10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Resources for conference at: http://www.clarkcunningham.org/GeorgiaLegalEthics/OversightOfProsecutors.html
Speaker Bios and link to conference recording will be posted here
Webex link for Livestreaming
https://gsumeetings.webex.com/gsumeetings/j.php?MTID=m40c3dedd650aa418c7860fbfda6b396f
Webinar number: 2624 149 2649
Webinar Password: burge2023
Alternative link to join:
https://gsumeetings.webex.com/
Scan this QR code to post questions for panelists:
Is current disciplinary and judicial oversight of prosecutors adequate? When is more oversight important to promote accountability and prevent misconduct, and when does it improperly politicize or intrude into the prosecution function? These issues have been getting increased attention in the last several years, including by elected officials. Legislatures in New York and Georgia have passed laws creating prosecutorial oversight commissions. The governor of Florida and the Pennsylvania legislature have proceeded against specific local prosecutors for removal. The House Judiciary Committee is seeking to investigate prosecutions of Donald Trump in several different jurisdictions.
10:00 am: Welcome
Prof. Courtney Anderson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
10:05 am: Overview
Prof. Clark Cunningham, W. Lee Burge Chair in Law & Ethics, GSU College of Law, Director, National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism
10:20-11:20 am: Panel One: What do we know about prosecutorial misconduct?
Chair: Prof. Clark Cunningham
Prof. Bruce Green, Director, Stein Center for Law and Ethics, former federal prosecutor
Don Samuel, adjunct professor, GSU College of Law, criminal defense attorney, past-President Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
11:20 am: Coffee break
11:40 am – 12:40 pm: Panel Two: Balancing prosecutor accountability with protection of prosecutorial discretion
Chair: Prof. Caren Morrison, GSU College of Law, former federal prosecutor
Mawuli Mel Davis, civil rights and criminal defense attorney, Ben Johnson Public Service Award from GSU College of Law
Prof. Maybell Romero, Tulane Law School, former state court prosecutor, former criminal defense attorney
12:50 -2:30 Luncheon and Keynote. Limited to registered participants. Will not be recorded or on live streaming.
2:30 -3:30 pm: Panel Three: Prosecutorial Accountability: the New York experience
Chair: Prof. Bruce Green
Prof. Nicole Smith Futrell, CUNY Law School (co-director, Defenders Clinic)
Daniel Alonso, Member, New York State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct
3:30 -4:30 pm: Panel Four: Prosecutorial Accountability: the Georgia experience
Chair: Prof. Clark Cunningham
Paula Frederick, General Counsel, State Bar of Georgia
Todd Hayes, Solicitor General of Cherokee County, Georgia; Co-Chair, SB 92 Rules Committee, Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia
Dalia Racine, District Attorney of the Douglas Judicial Circuit, Georgia; Co-Chair, SB 92 Rules Committee, Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia