Witness Protection
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* Re “Efforts to Protect Witnesses Fall Short in L.A. County,” Dec. 23:
Your article on the significant problem of protecting witnesses in criminal prosecutions is to be applauded. The issue boils down to funding. Something is terribly amiss when a detective must cough up $2,000 of his own money to clothe and feed a key witness.
In 1994, the California District Attorneys Assn. supported legislation that would have provided a modest $250,000 to the Department of Justice for witness protection. Incredibly, this measure failed passage. The Legislature should atone for this failure to act by passing meaningful witness protection legislation in 1997.
Contrary to the suggestion by some quoted in the article, holding prosecutors liable is not part of the solution. In fact, it would only make matters worse. Prosecutors are already duly concerned with the safety of their witnesses; the threat of a lawsuit is not needed. Potential civil liability would only serve to chill prosecutors in the handling of difficult cases and even discourage many talented attorneys from becoming, or remaining, deputy district attorneys.
LAWRENCE G. BROWN
Executive Director
California District Attorneys Assn.
Sacramento
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