The man was never indicted because prosecutors felt there was insufficient evidence.

The reason is that the prosecutor, my chief, feels that I need reassignment.

In fact, many upstate prosecutors with modest budgets are feeling tremulous about the law.

"Sometimes prosecutors felt there was nothing they could do with these things," Mr. Ryan said.

The prosecutors felt the evidence against Buono was so weak that it did not justify even an attempt to win at trial.

So perhaps prosecutors felt they had to be more aggressive.

A successful capital prosecution can make a prosecutor feel powerful, popular and righteous all at the same time.

School district officials are now worried that the police and prosecutors will feel compelled to bring a criminal action to justify their conduct.

"Now we know that the prosecutor feels the pressure."

Judges and public prosecutors feel free at long last, free from the burden of political influence.