We at IACA were delighted to learn that a book edited by Amie Ely, IACA Summer Academy 2017 alumna, was published in August this year by the National Association of Attorneys General where Amie is Director of Center for Ethics & Public Integrity at the National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute. Amie has not only edited but also written several chapters of this book titled “The Anticorruption Manual: A Guide for State Prosecutors” and shared with us the summary of the book.
The Anticorruption Manual: A Guide for State Prosecutors provides a comprehensive overview of prosecuting corruption, including information about federal and state laws in the United States that can be used to charge corrupt officials; investigative techniques, including wiretaps and undercover operations; certain challenges prosecutors might face at trial; and some ethical issues that may arise in corruption cases. The 30-chapter book also examines special legal and practical challenges facing prosecutors investigating judges, police officers, high-ranking members of the executive branch, and legislators. Among the authors are former and current federal, state, and local prosecutors, as well as law professors.
While The Anticorruption Manual is designed primarily for state and local prosecutors in the United States, it will also be of interest to corruption prosecutors in other countries, as some of the issues, such as balancing the public’s interest in a case with the defendant’s right to a fair trial, arises in many corruption cases, regardless of where they are charged. The section in the book describing U.S. federal and state laws that criminalize corrupt activity may be of particular interest to those who examine how the laws in their countries address corruption.
This book also will be useful for citizens who are interested in understanding the role prosecutors can play in the fight against corruption. Having systems that govern lawyers and investigators that are designed to ensure that suspects and defendants are afforded the full measure of their constitutional rights is a valuable reminder of the importance of the Rule of Law.
Also, further chapters include descriptions of real-world corruption cases. Some of these chapters are written by the prosecutors who actually investigated and charged these cases. Reading about the challenges they faced, and how they overcame those challenges to seek justice for the people they represent, is inspiring for corruption fighters anywhere.
More information about the book is available at https://www.naag.org/anticorruption-manual/
