Reading Room Document
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Temporary Exchange of Duties by Assistant United States Attorneys and Assistant Federal Public Defenders
The document discusses the legal and ethical aspects of having Assistant United States Attorneys and Assistant Federal Public Defenders temporarily exchange duties. The conclusion reached is that while statutes governing conflicts of interest and the Department's Standards of Conduct do not prohibit the temporary assignment, ethical problems arise due to conflicting loyalties and the potential impairment of the defendant's Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel. The questions presented for review include the applicability of conflict of interest laws and ethical implications of the proposed exchange program, as well as the potential impact on the defendant's right to effective assistance of counsel.
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