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Douglas County district attorney candidates respond to voters’ concerns
With the primary election days away, we gave each of the three Democrats running for Douglas County district attorney a chance to answer voters’ questions on an ethics complaint, an accusation of prosecutorial misconduct, views on officer conduct and more.
Douglas County district attorney candidates respond to voters’ concerns
With the primary election days away, we gave each of the three Democrats running for Douglas County district attorney a chance to answer voters’ questions on an ethics complaint, an accusation of prosecutorial misconduct, views on officer conduct and more.
LOCAL POLICIES
Douglas County District Attorney’s Brady/Giglio checklist:
20220110-DgCo-DA-Giglio-checklistDouglas County law enforcement’s uniform Brady/Giglio policy:
20220415-Law-enforcement-uniform-Brady-Giglio-policyMORe Coverage of Brady/Giglio
Douglas County sheriff’s deputy was accused of misusing funds from police foundation
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has hired a deputy who resigned from his last job following accusations of misusing funds from a police foundation. The sheriff says the deputy made a mistake and deserves a chance to show that’s not who he is.
Douglas County DA, sheriff reach compromise on long-running dispute over personnel files
Two of Douglas County’s top law enforcement officials have reached an agreement following a long dispute over access to information contained in deputies’ personnel files.
Former Douglas County sheriff’s deputy’s law enforcement certification revoked
A former Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputy has had her law enforcement certification revoked after she was charged in a domestic violence case.
Mackenzie Clark/Lawrence Times
Man sentenced to time served in case that highlighted conflict between Douglas County sheriff, DA
A plea deal Thursday resulted in a Lawrence man being convicted of one misdemeanor, seeing three cases dropped and getting out of jail on time served.
His case was the latest to call attention to an ongoing dispute between the Douglas County sheriff and district attorney.
Mackenzie Clark/Lawrence Times
Judge: Douglas County DA did not withhold information that should’ve been turned over to defense attorney
A judge has ruled that prosecutors did not withhold information that should have been turned over to a defense attorney regarding an ex-deputy accused of violating law and policy. This case, the latest to highlight an ongoing conflict between the DA and the sheriff, leaves some questions lingering.
Ex-Douglas County sheriff’s deputy granted diversion in domestic battery case; that’s not uncommon, data shows
A former deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was granted a diversion this week in connection with a domestic battery charge from Halloween 2020.
Mackenzie Clark/Lawrence Times
Defense attorney alleges Douglas County DA’s office withheld information that discredited sheriff’s deputy
A Lawrence defense attorney is arguing that his client’s case should be dismissed because prosecutors failed to disclose Brady/Giglio information, or information that raises questions about an officer’s credibility and character.
Lawrence man’s lawsuit against ex-cop, city to end with settlement; case reveals details of internal investigations
A federal civil case against an ex Lawrence police officer, the city, and a former police chief was set to proceed to trial this month, but the parties have reached a settlement.
Internal investigation documents in the case file reveal details that have never been made public about two cases that brought officer integrity issues into the spotlight in Douglas County.
Max Kautsch: Swaths of Kansas lack written policies on exculpatory evidence, law enforcement dishonesty (Column)
”The Kansas Coalition for Open Government believes that establishing written Brady/Giglio policies is essential to promoting transparency and accountability in law enforcement,” Max Kautsch writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Lawrence Police Department
Ex-Lawrence officer’s certification revoked for bias against women
A former Lawrence police officer’s certification has been revoked after an investigation found that he acted in poor moral character and disproportionately arrested young women.
Douglas County sheriff is ‘Giglio-impaired,’ district attorney’s office says
Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister is “Giglio-impaired” because he mishandled evidence, according to the district attorney’s office. The sheriff disputes the characterization.
Douglas County sheriff, district attorney in standoff over officer personnel files
Conflict has been worsening between the Douglas County sheriff and district attorney amid an ongoing dispute over what information the sheriff’s office must share with prosecutors regarding employee misconduct.
Lawrence Police Department
Ex-deputy, ex-Lawrence police officer could lose certification for alleged biased policing of young women
The writing may be on the wall for a former Douglas County sheriff’s deputy and Lawrence police officer.
Despite numerous complaints and red flags, years passed before Brad Williams’ peace officer certification was challenged.
Lawrence’s police review board approves new task force; conflict between law enforcement and DA’s office not addressed
The Lawrence Community Police Review Board tonight advanced a charter creating a new task force. Members did not raise questions about officer truthfulness policies that have spurred conflict between area law enforcement and the district attorney’s office.
Douglas County sheriff’s personnel file was not reviewed, cleared by judge as he stated
No judge reviewed Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister’s personnel file and cleared him of untruthful behavior, as the sheriff wrote in response to questions last month.
Brady Basics
Officers called to testify are subject to scrutiny during court proceedings. Prosecutors need to be aware of any dishonesty or bias in criminal and professional histories, and they have a legal duty to turn that information over to defense attorneys.
Lies from law enforcement can lead to guilty defendants walking free, innocent defendants getting convicted, and crime victims getting no justice or closure.
Policies dealing with officer truthfulness and disclosure of evidence are often called “Brady-Giglio” policies.
Put very simply, Brady v. Maryland and Giglio v. United States were landmark cases in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors must provide to defense attorneys all evidence that could show that a defendant is not guilty. That includes information that could make a jury question a particular witness’s credibility — for instance, if a witness had been granted immunity in exchange for their testimony.
If a law enforcement officer commits a “Brady” violation, that would generally mean they had withheld exculpatory evidence or that they had fabricated evidence; “Giglio” evidence would generally include information showing that an officer had been untruthful, had shown racial bias, had a criminal history or history of professional complaints, and more.
Why does it matter?
All of this information could be critical to a defendant getting a fair trial. When there are violations, it can mean that cases get dismissed or convictions get overturned. That’s a big reason why most prosecutors won’t allow “Brady- or Giglio-impaired” officers to testify in their cases.
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