Opinion ID: 2437984
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Attempt to Disqualify Special Prosecutor

Text: The regular prosecuting attorney applied for the appointment of a special prosecutor because he had been involved in the defendant's dissolution proceedings. The lawyer appointed, while serving as associate circuit judge, had entered an interlocutory order in the defendant's first dissolution action. He then left the bench and became a member of a law firm which represented the defendant in the divorce proceeding. [7] It is argued that he had access to confidential information which might be used against the defendant, because she claimed that her conduct was attributable to a bitter custody battle attending her dissolution proceedings. Complaint is also made about limiting the lawyer's deposition examination. A prosecutor is not necessarily ineligible because he does not like the defendant. It goes without saying, however, that a prosecutor should not serve if he has access to privileged information which might be used to the defendant's detriment. Here the trial judge held a hearing and found that there was no evidence that the special prosecutor possessed any information in this category. We are unable to say that disqualification was necessary on the record before us.