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Criminal Justice

Out of Order

When Prosecutors Cross the Line

The innocent can wind up in prison. The guilty can be set free. But New York City prosecutors who withhold evidence, tolerate false testimony or commit other abuses almost never see their careers damaged.

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Out of Order

He Went to Prison After a Prosecutor Hid Evidence. Seven Years After Our Story, He Walked Free.

Tyronne Johnson was featured in a 2013 ProPublica investigation that showed how a prosecutor kept jurors from hearing evidence that may have helped him beat a murder charge. He was granted parole this week and credits the story with helping him.

by Joaquin Sapien,

28 stories published since 2013

Criminal Justice Legislation Will Force New York Prosecutors to Disclose More Evidence, Sooner

by Joaquin Sapien,

Bill Proposes Greater Accountability for New York Prosecutors Who Break the Law

by Joaquin Sapien,

Millions for New York Man Wrongly Convicted of Murder

by Joaquin Sapien,

Trial And Error: A Man Convicted of Murder Wins Release, and Questions of Responsibility Linger

by Joaquin Sapien,

Podcast: Why Settlements Don’t Fix Wrongful Convictions

by Nicole Collins Bronzan,

New York State to Pay Millions in Wrongful Conviction Case

by Joaquin Sapien,

For a Respected Prosecutor, An Unpardonable Failure

by Joaquin Sapien,

Startling Sidebar: Brooklyn Judge Gave Political Advice to Borough’s Top Prosecutor

by Joe Sexton,

Attorney General Holder Requires Recording of Interrogations, Unlike New York City

by Joaquin Sapien,

Brooklyn Man Walks Out of Court, Cleared of Murder After 24 Years in Prison

by Joaquin Sapien,

Brooklyn DA Moves to Free Man after Long-Buried Evidence Surfaces

by Joaquin Sapien,

MuckReads Podcast: Jim Dwyer on False Convictions

by Nicole Collins Bronzan,

For Brooklyn Prosecutor, a Troubled Last Term, and a Trail of Lingering Questions

by Joaquin Sapien,

Missing: A Boy and The Evidence Against His Accused Killer

by Joaquin Sapien and Hanna Trudo,

Polarizing Brooklyn Prosecutor Retires Amid Scrutiny

by Joaquin Sapien,

For Brooklyn Prosecutor, a Rare Reversal at the Polls

by Joe Sexton,

For Prosecutor Under Fire, A Verdict at the Polls

by Joaquin Sapien,

A Powerful Legal Tool, and Its Potential for Abuse

by Joaquin Sapien,

Less Than Total Recall

by Joe Sexton,

Watching the Detectives: Will Probe of Cop’s Cases Extend to Prosecutors?

by Joaquin Sapien,

Objection Overruled: Top Prosecutor Must Testify in Wrongful Conviction Case

by Joaquin Sapien,

Problem Witness: A Case to Make Prosecutors Personally Accountable

by Joe Sexton,

A Prosecutor, a Wrongful Conviction and a Question of Justice

by Joaquin Sapien,

Reversal of Fortune: A Prosecutor on Trial

by ProPublica,

A Simple Fix: Should New York Compel Judges to Report Problem Prosecutors?

by Stephen Engelberg,

Podcast: When Prosecutors Mishandle Cases, Everyone Pays...Except For Them

by Minhee Cho,

Lasting Damage: A Rogue Prosecutor’s Final Case

by Joaquin Sapien,

Who Polices Prosecutors Who Abuse Their Authority? Usually Nobody

by Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, and Sergio Hernández, ,

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