If Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon proceeds with a proposal to launch a conviction review unit in his office, he would join three other New York City boroughs and prosecutors’ offices around the country that have done likewise.
But Queens District Attorney Richard Brown’s office—which has come under fire from defense attorneys over accusations of evidence suppression—won’t be forming its own unit anytime soon. Brown spokesman Kevin Ryan said the Queens DA believes preventing wrongful convictions should be the shared responsibility of “everyone in our office” and that the task should not be assigned to one unit or a “handful” of assistant district attorneys.
