Given all the power a prosecutor has -- like sending people to jail -- his or her character must be beyond reproach of something real close to it. Ms. Willis's falls well short of that standard, and she's making things worse by claiming, falsely, that questions about her behavior are just a product of racism. (Minority defendants often use that same sleazy dodge when attacking AUSAs). The judge should talk to her privately and ask her to consider whether the statesmanlike thing to do here -- something that would build her reputation in the long run -- is to withdraw and let another, senior attorney handle it. I'd give her a chance to think it over. If she won't, I'd boot her on the grounds that it's critical to the interests of justice for the public to be able to have maximum confidence in the outcome of the case, whatever it might be.
Given all the power a prosecutor has -- like sending people to jail -- his or her character must be beyond reproach of something real close to it. Ms. Willis's falls well short of that standard, and she's making things worse by claiming, falsely, that questions about her behavior are just a product of racism. (Minority defendants often use that same sleazy dodge when attacking AUSAs). The judge should talk to her privately and ask her to consider whether the statesmanlike thing to do here -- something that would build her reputation in the long run -- is to withdraw and let another, senior attorney handle it. I'd give her a chance to think it over. If she won't, I'd boot her on the grounds that it's critical to the interests of justice for the public to be able to have maximum confidence in the outcome of the case, whatever it might be.