Monday, August 3, 2009

Prosecutor suspended for showing photos of rape victim

Prof. Jonathan Turley is reporting today that a County Attorney in Kansas was suspended from practice for six months after he showed pictures of a 17-year-old girl being raped to the parents of the alleged perpetrators over the objections of the victim's parents. The opinion is available here.

The prosecutor decided not to prosecute the offenders. He claimed "he had seen the damage underage drinking could do" and thought it would be better to show the photographs to the parents of teens depicted drinking at the party even though the victim's family objected. He also stated that he did not understand why other women and girls who believed themselves to be victims of sex crimes might now be reluctant to report the crimes or assist with prosecutions.

The victim's parents are now suing the County over the disclosure of the photos. I don't think I have seen any case where prosecutorial misconduct is the basis for tort liability. For the full story, click here.

No comments:

Post a Comment