Iris Eytan's journey into the depths of criminal defense was not one she initially chose. Originally aspiring to advocate for mental health, her path veered into legal territory when her clients transitioned from psychiatric facilities to incarceration. This shift exposed her to the rawest edges of constitutional law and ultimately led her to represent cases that highlighted significant flaws in the justice system. Among these were the cases of a jail deputy wrongfully accused of murder, and Barry Morphew, whose trial peeled back the curtain on prosecutorial misconduct aiming to safeguard convictions at any cost.

Driven by these experiences, Eytan founded Protect Ethical Prosecutors (PEP), a reform initiative targeting the root of prosecutorial abuses. The campaign seeks to illuminate the alarming breadth of the issue where prosecutorial misconduct has been a factor in over one-third of the nearly 4,000 documented exonerations in the United States.

A critical barrier to accountability highlighted by PEP is the 1976 Supreme Court decision in Imbler v. Pachtman, which granted prosecutors absolute immunity from civil lawsuits, even in cases of intentional or reckless wrongdoing. This legal shield effectively places prosecutors beyond the reach of the civil justice system, regardless of their conduct's impact on the lives of the wrongfully accused.

Moreover, the self-policing nature of the legal system exacerbates the problem. With fewer than 2% of prosecutors ever facing any form of professional discipline following involvement in wrongful convictions, the cycle of misconduct continues largely unchecked. This systemic failure persists partly because judges, defense attorneys, and prosecutors themselves are hesitant to challenge their peers, fearing repercussions in a tightly knit legal community.

In response, PEP advocates for the establishment of an independent oversight commission endowed with genuine enforcement authority. Unlike existing bodies that can merely offer recommendations, this proposed commission would possess the power to impose sanctions and hold unethical prosecutors accountable.

The battle to protect ethical prosecutors is not just about safeguarding the careers of legal professionals—it's fundamentally about preserving the integrity of the justice system and ensuring that the scales of justice weigh fairly for all. Eytan's initiative underscores a critical need for structural reforms to foster a legal environment where truth and justice are paramount, and where prosecutors are champions of both, unmarred by the temptations of misconduct.