Software Designer Reports Error in Casey Anthony Trial - NYTimes.com

Brady v. Maryland requires prosecutors to disclose exculpatory evidence.  And prosecutors are required to correct evidence offered once the falsity is known (RPC 3.3 - A lawyer shall not... fail to correct a false statement of material fact or law previously made to the tribunal by the lawyer) It appears that both rules were broken in the Casey Anthony case.  But it appears the error was harmless - since she was acquitted. That does not settle the question of whether the prosecutors should be disciplined. That is within the discretion of the Florida bar disciplinary authorities. - GWC

Software Designer Reports Error in Casey Anthony Trial - NYTimes.com: "According to Mr. [John] Bradley, chief software developer of CacheBack, used by the police to verify the computer searches, the term “chloroform” was searched once through Google. The Google search then led to a Web site, sci-spot.com, that was visited only once, Mr. Bradley added. The Web site offered information on the use of chloroform in the 1800s.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office had used the software to validate its finding that Ms. Anthony had searched for information about chloroform 84 times, a conclusion that Mr. Bradley says turned out to be wrong. Mr. Bradley said he immediately alerted a prosecutor, Linda Drane Burdick, and Sgt. Kevin Stenger of the Sheriff’s Office in late June through e-mail and by telephone to tell them of his new findings. Mr. Bradley said he conducted a second analysis after discovering discrepancies that were never brought to his attention by prosecutors or the police.

Mr. Bradley’s findings were not presented to the jury and the record was never corrected, he said. Prosecutors are required to reveal all information that is exculpatory to the defense"