The appeals judges said prosecutors had violated his human rights by keeping him in jail too long without charge.

The defendant contended that prosecutors had violated his constitutional rights by using their challenges to dismiss all of the black prospective jurors.

Defense lawyers argued that the trial should be halted while the Constitutional Court rules on whether prosecutors violated state secrecy in bringing the case.

Trial judges in North Carolina have broad authority to impose sanctions when prosecutors violate discovery rules.

He asserts that the prosecutor violated the constitutional separation of powers by asking the courts to decide what political work is acceptable for legislative employees.

He also asserts that the prosecutor violates constitutional separation of powers by trying to decide what percentage of political work is acceptable for legislative employees.

That's a wise precept and prosecutors violate it at their peril.

Mr. Fischetti said yesterday that prosecutors had violated those rules by not turning over the information during the years of contentious legal battles in the case.

Defense lawyers frequently seek early dismissal of charges on grounds that prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence or violated the defendant's constitutional rights.

But even among those who said they had never disclosed such information to reporters, there was widespread acknowledgment that other prosecutors violated the rules.