Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Law
Prosecutors "Doing Justice" Through Osmosis - Reminders To Encourage A Culture Of Cooperation, Melanie Wilson
Prosecutors "Doing Justice" Through Osmosis - Reminders To Encourage A Culture Of Cooperation, Melanie Wilson
Scholarly Works
Scholars have often criticized the government for relying on "cooperating" defendant/witnesses in obtaining convictions of other persons. Such scholars contend that cooperating witnesses are powerfully motivated to parrot information a prosecutor wants to hear and that as naturally biased advocates, prosecutors overlook and ignore signs that cooperating defendants are lying.
This article asserts that defendants who "cooperate" with the government by substantially assisting in the prosecution of other crimes and criminals in exchange for a hope of receiving a more lenient sentence are invaluable crime prevention tools and should be encouraged. Nevertheless, the article recognizes the inconsistent manner in which …