The U.S. Attorney for North Carolina's Eastern District, Thomas Walker, is promising to follow disclosure policies for defendants prosecuted by his office. The 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued an opinion last week critical of three cases out of the Eastern district.
Circuit Judge Henry Floyd said judges found three instances of evidence being withheld from defendants. Walker says there was no intentional shielding of the facts in the case he oversaw, but he still takes the court's concerns seriously.
"Our disclosure and discovery obligations will continue to be in my tenure a point of emphasis in this office," Walker says. "And we must strive everyday to make sure that we meet those obligations. The system absolutely depends on that."
Two of the three cases appeals court judges flagged were prosecuted by George Holding, who now represents the state's 13th congressional district. He could not be reached for comment. The judges' opinion could lead to sanctions against the Eastern District office.
