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Public commenters urge legislative review of Washoe County conviction-integrity practices and prosecutorial accountability
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Summary
Speakers in public comment asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate alleged patterns of withheld exculpatory evidence by a Conviction Integrity Committee and called for statutory accountability for prosecutors who fail to disclose evidence.
During the public-comment portion of the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, Tonia Brown of Advocates for the Inmates and the Innocent and another speaker raised detailed concerns about how conviction-review requests are handled in Washoe County.
Brown said she filed a complaint that the attorney general’s office received on April 18, 2025, alleging a pattern or practice by the Washoe County District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Committee (CIC). She said the CIC issued a “no review” response in her case despite her providing what she describes as exculpatory evidence that was found in the district attorney’s files. “Basically, what is happening is I filed, against the CIC. I provided them the evidence and I got a no review,” Brown said. She told the committee she has resubmitted complaints and that local law-enforcement agencies (Sparks PD, Reno PD, and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office) submitted the complaint to the attorney general’s office in 2022.
Another commenter identified as Ann Marie Grant said she has reviewed cases in which prosecutors allegedly withheld exculpatory evidence and argued existing internal review mechanisms are not sufficient to ensure accountability. Grant described judicial findings in at least one case and said the conduct resulted in delays, costs and concern about prosecutorial integrity. “Prosecutors need to be held accountable for withholding exculpatory evidence and violating a defendant's right to due process,” Grant said. She urged the Legislature to consider statutory changes that would increase consequences for prosecutors who violate discovery rules, including disbarment and criminal sanctions.
Speakers asked the committee to consider time limits and clearer procedures for handling complaints that allege prosecutorial misconduct. Committee members did not take action during the meeting; these remarks were part of the public-comment record.
The record included written attachments submitted by Brown and references to documents sent to the attorney general’s office; Brown said local media had shown interest in her complaint. No formal referral or committee vote resulted from the public comment at this meeting.
