The judge who ordered prosecutors several times to hand over evidence to defense attorneys for then U.S. Senator Ted Stevens is continuing his push for changes to the written rules prosecutors must follow.

United States District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan wants a clear rule, in writing, about the need for prosecutors to share with defense attorneys any evidence that is favorable to the accused. As he notes in two letters filed Monday in support of that effort, the failure of prosecutors to do so in the Stevens case prompted the justice department, in a "highly unusual" if not "unprecedented" move, to set aside Stevens' guilty verdicts and dismiss the case. Sullivan also points out that it took allegations of misconduct, made by an FBI agent on the government's own team, for the mishandled evidence to ultimately come to light.

Sullivan has asked for the change to be made to both the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and the rules for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that it will eliminate the need to rely a prosecutor's "prudent" decision to "err on the side of transparency," aid in the search for truth, and help ensure that "justice shall be done."