A long-standing Miami prosecutor has submitted his resignation following allegations of witness manipulation, which includes providing conjugal visits to jailhouse informants to secure their testimony in a high-profile case against a gang leader. Michael Von Zamft, well-known for leading significant cases in the Florida state attorney's office, stepped down after Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson's order highlighted "witness testimony manipulation" and severe misconduct.
Von Zamft, who was disqualified from the resentencing trial of Corey Smith alongside another prosecutor, Stephen Mitchell, has not publicly responded to the allegations. The case against Smith, which goes back over two decades, has to now contend with these allegations, forcing the state attorney's office to promptly find a way to reassess its stance and possibly recover public trust. Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the State Attorney, expressed her commitment that her office seeks "truth and justice" lawfully, mentioning in a statement that she will "ask my top litigators to examine every aspect of this case and determine the best path forward," as reported by NBC Miami.
Von Zamft's exit came swiftly on the heels of the exposure that informants had allegedly been granted favors, including conjugal visits at the Miami Police Department's Homicide Unit, to align their testimony against Smith. Even more concerning, recordings surfaced of Von Zamft discussing to arrange jailhouse meetings between witnesses to coordinate testimony, a move that was not disclosed to Smith's lawyers as it should have been under legal standards for criminal prosecutions.
One of the most damning aspects of this revelation is a 2022 phone call, where Von Zamft is heard strategizing about making a witness "unavailable" if her testimony did not align with his objectives, according to the U.S. News & World Report. David Oscar Markus, a Miami defense attorney familiar with prosecuting misconduct, noted that such admonishments are as "brave as they are rare." The judge's order recounted this Machiavellian maneuvering with a nod to Perry Mason, the fictional defense attorney known for last-minute courtroom revelations, stating, "In real life, this happens very rarely. It happened here."
Smith, known for his alleged leadership of the John Doe Gang, was convicted in 2004 for multiple murders, which was considered a victory against criminal gangs at the time. Despite controversy, Rundle's office is proceeding with the case and defending the pursuit of the death penalty. However, Smith's lawyers question if malpractice is isolated, suggesting a deeper problem within the attorney's office. "We remain concerned that the issues raised may not be unique to this case," said Craig Whisenhunt and Allison Miller, attorneys for Smith
