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hemocyanin writes:

Nobody interested in technology has failed to notice how aggressive and remorseless prosecutors can be in pursuing relatively powerless individuals. Examples: any Whistleblower acting in the public interest is at serious risk, as are activists like Aaron Scwartz by the piling on of a century's worth of charges, or journalists who expose information the government would like kept secret, like Barrett Brown, and FBI agents and Federal prosecutors are perfectly happy to tell ridiculous lies to further their abuse (in court filings, the Feds claimed Ladar Levinson exited the back door of his 5th story apartment and drove off -- this would have required a 5 story jump from his balcony).

Of course, if you are politically connected, and you only leak in a self-glorifying manner, then you get a slap on the wrist, e.g., General Petraeus.

This morning I read a letter of apology written by a prosecutor who got an innocent man convicted -- to see that was very moving and makes me feel hopeful that perhaps, the sentiments he writes about will filter back into the prosecutorial community:

The full letter (if ever there is a time to RTFA, this is it) and an excerpt:

In 1984, I was 33 years old. I was arrogant, judgmental, narcissistic and very full of myself. I was not as interested in justice as I was in winning. To borrow a phrase from Al Pacino in the movie "And Justice for All," "Winning became everything."

After the death verdict in the Ford trial, I went out with others and celebrated with a few rounds of drinks. That's sick. I had been entrusted with the duty to seek the death of a fellow human being, a very solemn task that certainly did not warrant any "celebration."