On the night of Oct. 2, a group of about 10 prosecutors and FBI agents gathered for an all-hands meeting at the Bond Building on New York Avenue Northwest in Washington, D.C., the headquarters of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section.

Six days into the trial of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, prosecutors realized they had failed to turn over a document that could aid the lawmaker’s defense. The group debated what to do with it.