Judges are bound to be impartial in all the decisions and court rulings they make. However, they do not always fulfill this ethical part of their profession. They engage in unethical behaviors by participating in misconducts and overstepping their boundaries. This includes situations where they abuse power vested in them by forcing those under them such as the attorneys to do as per their say (Alschuler, 1972). They also have bias issues which make them end up being one-sided, hence, favoritism. They are also faced with conflicting interests where they get clouded by interests such as financial benefits or emotional satisfaction. They can also go against their conducts by engaging in sexual misconducts or criminal offenses. When judges become involved in such malpractices, they end up becoming incompetent, and their impartiality is much affected.
Defense attorneys, on the other hand, have a duty to ensure that the rights of the defendant are not deprived. They are often involved in misconduct issues in efforts to prove the innocence of their clients. They can go to the extent of lying to the court and present it as the truth. They also bribe judges for winning purposes. Their duty, however, should not be based on whether the client is guilty or innocent but ensuring he or she was somewhat represented for a fair ruling. At times, defense attorneys do not act to their maximum capacities. For example, they are found sleeping in court proceedings or having not prepared enough for a listening hence representing the client inefficiently. Conflict of interest is another significant aspect of misconduct among defense attorneys where they decide to take up duty for the sake of their advantages, for example financially (Criminal Justice, 2018).
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Prosecutors are responsible for deciding which cases to go to trial and which to be dismissed. They are often going against their code of conduct. They are mostly driven by their interests as they do not want to seem inefficient in their duties. This includes financial benefits where they accept bribes to either disclose or hide crucial information. They also have a history of withholding vital evidence necessary during trials intentionally. Moreover, they have been seen to instruct witnesses on what to say and what not to say hence interfering with the evidence. They also tend to bully defense attorneys by forcing them to act as per their rules (Alschuler, 1972).
References
Alschuler, A. (1972). Courtroom Misconduct by Prosecutors and Trial Judges| Chicago Unbound . Retrieved from Courtroom Misconduct by Prosecutors and Trial Judges.pdf
Criminal Justice. (2018). Court Ethics| Criminal Justice . Retrieved from criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/criminal-justice-ethics/court-ethics.
