Work of the National Center for Prosecution Ethics
State and local prosecutors play a key role in protecting the safety and security of the nation’s communities and neighborhoods by actively seeking out and prosecuting dangerous and sinister criminals who victimize the innocent. This responsibility is not to be taken lightly. Prosecutors are held to the highest ethical standard in the pursuit of justice, and have a duty to ensure that their practices reflect that standard. State and local prosecutors represent the interests of their communities and have a duty to protect all citizens while respecting the integrity of the criminal justice system.
It is vital, now more than ever, for prosecutors to understand and uphold their ethical duty. Recently, the media spotlight has focused on prosecutorial ethics in light of several high-profile criminal cases, creating a cloud of skepticism over prosecution as a profession and jeopardizing the important role prosecutors play in protecting the nation’s communities.
NDAA has long understood the importance ethics plays in prosecution and has maintained the National Center for Prosecution Ethics to help convey this message to prosecutors throughout the nation. The center is designed as a forum for the study and analysis of legislation, judicial rules and proposals by legal associations. It serves as a resource for state and local prosecutors who are continuously challenged with ethical issues. As a resource center, it provides prosecutors with materials relating to rules, standards, guidelines and administrative and judicial opinions concerning the professional responsibility of prosecutors. For more information about the center, please see Notes from the National College.
One of the center’s recent major tasks was to update the third edition of the National Prosecution Standards, the ethics and professionalism manual for America’s prosecutors. The NDAA Board of Directors is now reviewing the new edition. After necessary comments and formal readings are completed, this publication will be ready for print. Hopefully, it will be ready for distribution by the end of 2007.
It is NDAA’s commitment to provide comprehensive guidance by way of these standards to the prosecutor community, state trial courts, appellate courts and our communities. America’s prosecutors represent the best of our criminal justice system and we should continue to be leaders in this important area.
