The North Carolina State Bar has released this proposed formal ethics opinion in response to a letter from Professor Jason Huber of Charlotte School of Law. The proposed opinion addresses the question of whether a prosecutor who has come to believe that someone was wrongfully convicted can condition the initiation of a new proceeding or a dismissal on the convicted person's release of civil claims against relevant law enforcement officials, including prosecutors. The opinion says, "no," concluding that a "prosecutor may not condition initiation of or cooperation in a proceeding to dismiss a conviction upon the convicted person's release of civil claims against the prosecutor, law enforcement authorities, or other public officials or entities."
Charlotte's Civil Rights Clinic has been seeking ethics opinions from numerous jurisdictions on this issue. You can find out more, and view a helpful map showing which jurisdictions have addressed the topic, here.