Since 1963, a series of United States Supreme Court case decisions have clarified that in criminal
cases, prosecutors must disclose to the defense evidence favorable to the defendant. This
includes information that may be used to impeach the credibility of government witnesses,
including law enforcement officers. These decisions mean that police officers who have
documented histories of lying-in official matters are liabilities to their agencies, and these
histories may render them unable to testify credibly.
INSTRUCTIONS
Summarize the main issues that are involved in the following United States Supreme Court
cases. You must have at least 2–3 pages, not including your title page.
Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963)
Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150 (1972)
United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97 (1976)
