Prosecutorial Misconduct: Law, Procedure, Forms

The late Joseph F. Lawless maintained a national practice focused on white collar criminal defense and complex civil litigation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He successfully represented corporate and individual defendants in grand jury investigations, at trial, and on appeal in federal and state courts, on charges ranging from bank fraud, bribery, government contracting fraud, racketeering, public corruption, extortion, health care fraud, securities fraud, violations of the False Claims Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and perjury to murder and other crimes of violence. He also represented clients before Congress and other government agencies. Mr. Lawless was a member of the defense team for former NBA All Star Jayson Williams in his 2004 trial on homicide charges.

In Thompson v. Connick, Mr. Lawless appeared as plaintiff's sole expert witness on criminal defense and prosecutorial misconduct issues. The February 2007 trial resulted in a $14.5 million jury award for a former death row inmate wrongfully convicted of murder and later exonerated. On December 19, 2008, the verdict was upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Mr. Lawless was past Chair of the Criminal Law Section of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Assistant District Attorney in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and Special Counsel to the Pennsylvania Judicial Inquiry and Review Board in the investigation and prosecution of a sitting Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice. He also served as a Mental Health Hearing Examiner for the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County, where he heard and adjudicated petitions for involuntary treatment under the Pennsylvania Mental Health Act for five years. Mr. Lawless was also elected to and served two terms as a Delaware County Judge of Elections. Equally adept at trying criminal and civil cases, a federal district court opinion lauded his "extensive trial experience and outstanding trial skills."

Mr. Lawless authored numerous articles and was a frequent lecturer on criminal and civil trial techniques and tactics and was considered one of the foremost authorities on prosecutorial misconduct in federal and state criminal prosecutions. He appeared as a legal commentator for CNN, Fox News Court TV/TruTV, and WWRL-AM radio, New York. He was a regular guest on "Nancy Grace" and "The Lineup with Kimberly Guilfoyle" and appeared on "Hannity & Colmes" and "Geraldo at Large".

Mr. Lawless was a 1976 graduate of Villanova University School of Law and a 1973 graduate of St. Joseph's University.