Foreword - New Perspectives on Brady and Other Disclosure Obligations: What Really Works?

Abstract

Nearly fifty years after the Supreme Court decided Brady v. Maryland, state and federal criminal justice systems appear less than adequate in assuring that prosecutorial disclosure obligations are met. Recent high-publicity cases have highlighted failures to disclose fundamental exculpatory evidence to the defense, whether intentional or not. A November 2009 symposium at the Cardozo School of Law - New Perspectives on Brady and Other Disclosure Obligations: What Really Works? - explored these issues in a unique framework for the criminal justice system. It considered lessons from the fields of medicine, business, psychology, and policing as to their methods for managing information, optimizing performance, and insuring quality. This Foreword provides an overview of the discussions, reports, and papers from the symposium.

Keywords: Brady, prosecutorial disclosure, prosecutorial ethics, prosecutorial misconduct, prosecutorial review boards, criminal procedure, criminal justice