Role of the Prosecutor

This course will examine the role of the modern prosecutor through readings, discussions, and guest speakers. We will address the limits and scope of prosecutorial power, the degree to which prosecutors shape the criminal justice system, the significance of electoral politics in selecting prosecutors, and the relationships between prosecutors and other actors in the criminal justice system such as police, legislators, judges, defense counsel, victims, and the communities prosecutors serve. We will also touch on prosecutorial ethics and the challenges today’s prosecutors face in their mission to be “Ministers of Justice.”