Kohring and Kott

By Alaska Standard Staff

Alaskans should be angry. As a result of two motions filed in court yesterday by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ,) it appears two crooked politicians will get a second chance at freedom. Directing that anger at Attorney General Eric Holder and the current team of prosecutors, however, would be a mistake. Instead, blame the original prosecution team who failed to play by the rules.

Upon finding irregularities during a review of the prior prosecution, DOJ had to take corrective action. DOJ’s mission is not just to put criminals behind bars no matter the cost. It must defend and protect the rule of law. In this instance, DOJ determined that it had failed to turn potentially exculpatory material over to the defense. For more than 40 years, the United States Supreme Court has said that a defendant has a constitutional right to this information. The Constitution is not a technicality that can be overlooked because the video tape evidence is very compelling. Read more