9th Cir Condemns Secret State-Snitch Deals

In a spate of recent opinions, the 9th Circuit has taken aim at deals between prosecutors and witnesses that aren't disclosed to defense counsel. Senior 9th Circuit Judge Stephen Trott, who each year lectures new prosecutors on the perils of using criminals as witnesses, says he's glad the court is taking such a hard line. "Snitches are only interested in one thing: their freedom," he said. Covering up such a deal, Trott said, is a clear violation of a prosecutor's duty to follow the law. More from The Recorder. . . [Mark Godsey]