Prosecutor suspended for evidence errors in drug ring trial
EVERETT — After two years in jail, a man accused of leading an international drug trafficking ring was freed in the middle of his trial in February, when the case was dismissed because of a Snohomish County deputy prosecutor’s mistakes.
Five days into the trial, it became apparent that deputy prosecutor Elliott Thomsen withheld information that could have implicated another suspect, a possible violation of case law and the state’s rules of professional conduct.
As a result, Snohomish County Prosecutor Adam Cornell suspended Thomsen for five days and reassigned him to non-violent cases.
“This failure led to the dismissal of serious felony charges against a defendant that spent two years in custody awaiting trial following a lengthy, complicated, multi-agency investigation,” Cornell wrote March 30 in a disciplinary letter obtained by The Daily Herald in a public records request. “This conduct, if true, breaks down public confidence in the work this office performs on behalf of our community, as well as the trust our local law enforcement agencies have that their hard work will be reflected in the diligent prosecution of the case.”
Under a 1963 ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland, prosecutors must tell the defense about any evidence that could help to exonerate the accused. Failing to disclose “Brady material” can lead to a charge being dismissed or a conviction reversed.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/prosecutor-suspended-for-evidence-errors-in-drug-ring-trial/
