California Attorney General Has Post-Conviction Brady Obligation

The California attorney general has both a constitutional and ethical duty to disclose evidence to defendants in criminal cases, with special care regarding protected information prosecutors are prohibited from revealing, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The justices unanimously held the attorney general must disclose evidence forming the basis of a habeas corpus petitioner’s claim that prosecutors withheld evidence, even after conviction.

Jasmine Jenkins was charged in the stabbing death of Brittneeh Williams. Jenkins claims she didn’t receive a fair trial because the district attorney failed to reveal assault arrests and conviction details about the witnesses and victim that would ...