NEW YORK, N.Y. – Yesterday, the Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association announced the creation of the Task Force for Prosecutorial Independence. The Task Force will work to preserve and strengthen prosecutorial independence and enhance the American public’s understanding of the prosecutor’s critical role in the criminal justice system. The Institute for Innovation in Prosecution at John Jay College (“IIP”) Executive Director Rachel Marshall has been announced as a member of the ABA Task Force for Prosecutorial Independence.

“I am honored to serve on this important Task Force with a diverse group of esteemed criminal justice experts,” said IIP Executive Director Rachel Marshall. “I am grateful to the ABA for recognizing the urgent need to protect prosecutorial independence and the importance of educating the public about the role of prosecutors in our legal system.”

The ABA Task Force is co-chaired by John Choi, County Attorney for Ramsey County in Saint Paul, Minnesota; Ellen S. Podgor, the Gary R. Trombley Family White Collar Crime Research Professor at the Stetson University College of Law; and Ellen Yaroshefsky, the Howard Lichtenstein Distinguished Professor of Legal Ethics at the Maurice A Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. The nonpartisan Task Force includes a diverse group of prosecutors, defenders, legal scholars, and others with expertise in the criminal justice system.  Sara Alpert Lawson of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP is the Reporter.

The Task Force will be assisted by an Advisory Board composed of national leaders, including former United States Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzalez, former United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and former United States Deputy Attorney General Larry D. Thompson. 

In addition to serving on the Task Force, the IIP has been deeply engaged in working to protect prosecutorial independence in other ways. In 2023, the IIP filed an amicus brief in Fulton County, Georgia superior court in support of Georgia prosecutors; published opeds on the importance of preserving prosecutorial discretion; and hosted numerous webinars on topics related to prosecutorial independence.
For additional information or press inquiries, visit the IIP website at  www.prosecution.org.

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The Institute for Innovation in Prosecution at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (IIP) provides a collaborative national platform that brings together prosecutors, policy experts, and the communities they serve to promote data-driven strategies, cutting-edge scholarship, and innovative thinking. The IIP is dedicated to criminal justice that promotes community-centered standards of safety, fairness, and dignity.