Holder's review of the conviction, which Steven's attorneys had appealed, discovered numerous instances of prosecutorial misconduct, including failure to inform defense attorneys of an exculpatory interview with Stevens' primary accuser. The trial judge had admonished the prosecutors and threatened to declare a mistrial because prosecutors had withheld evidence. Stevens only narrowly lost his re-election bid and almost assuredly would have won had it not been for the highly publicized conviction.
Lest anyone think the prosecution was politically motivated, Republican Stevens was charged by a Republican U.S. attorney.
A Republican Party official has called on Stevens' successor to resign from the seat he won dishonorably (though not dishonestly) because of the misconduct of Republican prosecutors. That's not going to happen, but one could hardly blame Stevens for quoting Ray Donovan's remarks from 22 years before.
1 comment:
Acquittals don't restore a reputation -- nor do they prove innocence.
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