But many question his judgment in continuing to pursue McDougal in a case that, on the surface, does not appear to warrant such extreme measures. There's no legal limit on this, but it looks a lot like overkill. It's not a murder case. It's not as though there is a kidnap victim out there we hope to find. Barcella said Starr's pursuit of McDougal illustrates how an independent counsel's narrow focus can affect the decisions he makes.
Regular prosecutors have hundreds of cases.
They deal with them and move on. If you have only one case, you lose perspective. Starr's defenders say McDougal's potential importance as a witness, the significance of the possible crime Starr is pursuing and the need to send a message to future witnesses all justify prosecuting McDougal. The reason is a prosecutor has a duty to the system. You cannot have the public perceive that a person is being able to defy the system.