Bad Week for DoJ

Earlier this week, when dismissing the corruption conviction against Ted Stevens, the district court judge reamed the Department of Justice from the bench. Apparently, that was only the beginning of the Government's bad week:

U.S. District Judge Alan Gold ordered the government to pay $601,795 to cover legal fees, litigation expenses and expert fees for Dr. Ali Shaygan of Miami Beach after a superseding indictment was returned against the doctor last summer.

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The judge reprimanded the two trial prosecutors, Sean Cronin and Andrea Hoffman, as well as their supervisor, Karen Gilbert, the narcotics section chief. Gold said Cronin and Hoffman, along with Drug Enforcement Administration agent Christopher Wells, 'acted vexatiously and in bad faith.' He cited Gilbert and her deputies for acting with 'gross negligence.'

Their sin? Taping conversations of the defense team. Whoever thought that was a good - or legal - idea?

Unlike Stevens, Dr. Shaygan was acquitted, but not until after a trial and considerable expense. But at least he had an expense to recoup. And he was out on bond. What about the indigent defendant represented by a public defender who was in jail the whole time? What's his remedy?