Criminal prosecutions are conducted by aggressive individuals working in a results-oriented system. A major fault within this system is the lack of consequence for acts of prosecutorial misconduct, such as withholding evidence, selective prosecution, making inflammatory statements to the media as seen in the Duke Lacrosse case, or any other willful act that breaks the law in order to secure a conviction.
Acts of prosecutorial misconduct erode confidence in government and violates individual civil rights. Those in positions of enormous power should be held to a higher standard, and the federal government should protect its citizens by enacting a federal law that allows federal prosecution and/or civil liability for these illegal acts.