WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder launched a wide-ranging review Tuesday of his lawyers' compliance with evidence-sharing rules in response to a federal judge's scathing criticism of prosecutors' conduct in the corruption trial of former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens.

Holder's orders, which included new training for prosecutors, represent yet another humbling blow to a department that prides itself on upholding the highest legal standards, yet has found itself on the defensive lately in high-profile cases.

Earlier this month, a federal judge set aside a jury's guilty verdict and the indictment against Stevens, then announced that he was naming a special prosecutor to investigate whether government attorneys had broken the law by failing to ensure that the Republican lawmaker got a fair trial. » read more

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder picked a longtime prosecutor Wednesday to oversee internal ethics investigations as part of a larger reshuffling of the Justice Department staff.

The announcement that Washington prosecutor Mary Patrice Brown will serve as acting head of the Office of Professional Responsibility came the day after a federal judge set aside a jury's guilty verdict and the indictment against former Sen. Ted Stevens. The judge announced that he was naming a special prosecutor to investigate whether Justice Department attorneys had broken the law by failing to ensure that the Alaska Republican got a fair trial.

Holder, who worked alongside Brown in the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, said Brown had the "highest integrity" and would be a good fit for the sensitive post. » read more