Dewey Mistrial Prompts Doubts About Prosecutor

A series of setbacks in white collar trials, most notably a mistrial in the high-profile criminal case against three former executives of bankrupt law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf, have led to questions about the competence of Manhattan’s District Attorney, Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. and his staff. Some worry Vance’s office makes financial trials overly complex, and has been too aggressive in pursuing cases that might be better served in civil courts. The Dewey case, and recent missteps in a mortgage fraud case, “raises additional questions about the trial readiness of his prosecutors,” the New York Times reports. But Vance says, “If you look at two cases, it is like looking at crime statistics for the weekend.”