The New York Times just ran a story in Dealbook describing work with the UVA First Amendment clinic and the law library to locate sealed corporate prosecution agreements - my "Too Big to Jail" book studies such cases. There are over 30 agreements, mostly non-prosecution agreements, of the over 300 that Jon Ashley of the UVA Law Library and I have identified, that have been "sealed" by agreement with the prosecutors. The clinic has filed a FOIA request seeking all of those agreements - after the DOJ ultimately decided to provide the single agreement requested last year in a test case. We view these corporate prosecutions as important, of public interest, and believe that basic information about how such prosecutions are resolved should be made public.
Sheriff Harding with many, many copies of "Convicting the Innocent"
Sheriff J.E. "Chip" Harding, of Albemarle County, VA is proposing forming a Justice Commission in VA. He has offered to send copies of the book to law enforcement interested in reading more about why improvements can help convict the guilty and clear the innocent.
More on the Toyota DPA from Reuters
In a story by Reuters, I talk about what kind of a message a major deferred prosecution agreement like this one can be designed to send.
The Biggest DPA Ever?
DOJ Announces a DPA with Toyota with a proposed $1.2 billion fine
FOIA suit over non-prosecution agreements settles
More on the UVA First Amendment clinic lawsuit from the Corporate Crime Reporter
False confessions in Virginia
Read more in the Virginia Lawyer's Weekly