the JustPod
Podcast for the Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association. We'll talk current issues in criminal justice reform, policy and the Supreme Court. We'll discuss the work of the Criminal Justice Section including events, Task Forces, Standards, the ABA's ICC project and more. This is the Criminal Justice Section of the ABA’s podcast, and may not contain official ABA policy statements. For the ABA’s Code of Online Conduct visit here: https://www.americanbar.org/about_the_aba/codeofconduct/
the JustPod
The State of Prosecutorial Independence and Prosecutorial Discretion
Earlier this year, in February 2024, the ABA launched its Prosecutorial Independence Task Force. Two of our guests, Professor Ellen Yaroshefsky (Hofstra Law School), and John Choi (Ramsey County Attorney in Ramsey County, Minnesota), are co-chairs of the Task Force. John has the distinction of being the first Korean American Chief Prosecutor in the United States. Our third guest, J. Charles (“Charlie”) Smith III, is the State’s Attorney for Frederick County, Maryland, and is the longest serving State’s Attorney in Maryland. Charlie is also a member of the ABA Taskforce on Prosecutorial Independence, as well as the Chair of the Board at the National District Attorneys Association.