America's Courts and the Criminal Justice System (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac )

Book Description

Best-selling AMERICA'S COURTS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM focuses on the dynamics of the court by introducing the concept of the "courthouse workgroup" and the interrelated relationship of the three main actors?judge , prosecutor, and defense attorney?thus illustrating the law in action, not just the theories and facts. Neubauer also uses a myriad of pedagogical devices that bring the court process to life for students, including A Day in Court, Controversy, and Case Close-Up boxes. This text has become the market-leader in large part because of its comprehensive coverage, its focus on the dynamics of the process, and its pedagogical features. Neubauer emphasized key aspects of the law, particularly law on the books, law in action, and law in controversy, to provide students with a clear focus. The Eighth Edition is filled with timely new content and now is accompanied by an exciting new Student Companion CD-ROM that features Court TV® videos?FREE with every new copy of the text!

Criminal Justice Organizations: Administration and Management

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Great!!

Criminal Justice Organizations: Administration and Management
Stan Stojkovic , David Kalinich , and John Klofas
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Administration and Management of Criminal Justice Organizations: A Book of Readings
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Ethics in Crime and Justice: Dilemmas and Decisions (Ethics in Crime and Justice)

ASIN: 0534584101

Book Description

Providing coverage of modern management theory, this text emphasizes the application of management techniques appropriate to each area of the criminal justice system. By focusing on the "how's" as well as the "why's," this text prepares students for dealing with real management issues. CRIMINAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS is known for being thorough, approachable, and practical. It is praised for having strong pedagogical features, such as "Work Perspectives" and "Case Summaries".

Customer Reviews:

Great!!.......2005-09-19

I was very very happy with the book I received and the quick and prompt shipping of my book. I have had lots of problems with ordering books online and this was by far the BEST service I have ever had. The book arrived in perfect condition, it looked brand new, the price was great, and I received it quickly. Great Service.

To Serve and Protect: Privatization and Community in Criminal Justice (Political Economy of the Austrian School Series)

Average customer rating:

More timely than ever, unfortunately
What we have to avoid !
A brilliant follow up to Benson's "The Enterprise of Law"

To Serve and Protect: Privatization and Community in Criminal Justice (Political Economy of the Austrian School Series)
Bruce Benson
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

The Enterprise of Law: Justice Without the State
Drug War Crimes: The Consequences of Prohibition
Market for Liberty
The Machinery of Freedom: A Guide to Radical Capitalism
The Myth of National Defense

ASIN: 0814713270
Release Date: 1998-08-01

Customer Reviews:

More timely than ever, unfortunately.......2001-09-26

In the wake of a terrible terrorist attack, various public voices are arguing for liberty-threatening countermeasures -- increases in federal power, the placement of federal marshals on aircraft, the unreasonable search and seziure of airline passengers, and so forth. Almost unnoticed and unmentioned is the fact that the terrorists succeeded in killing thousands using, apparently, no weapon more powerful than a box cutter.

A handful who are aware of this salient point are claiming that airline security was lax owing to "market failure." This is supposed to relieve us of the responsibility to establish security by means that respect rights.

But Bruce Benson's _To Serve and Protect_ addressed all of this several years ago -- broadly and in principle, though of course with no explicit discussion of the proper security measures for airlines to implement. What Benson provides in this volume is a thorough defense of a superficially counterintuitive claim that becomes less and less counterintuitive as time goes on: the free and private market is better, _much_ better, at providing security and criminal justice than is the government.

That means that his book is, sadly, perhaps more timely now than when it was written. By a simple extrapolation of the arguments presented herein, the recent tragedies indicate, not that "private" security provisions put us at risk of "market failures," but that a government monopoly on criminal justice costs lives.

Benson is also the author of the highly recommended _The Enterpise of Law_, which sets out probably the most thorough case to date that _law_ can exist without the institutions of a territorial State. This volume is in some ways a sequel, setting out a positive case as to how "private" criminal law works and why it is, consistently and in principle, superior to government regulation. (And allegations of "market failure" are specifically addressed.)

Check it out. The need for Benson's arguments has never been greater at any time since its publication.

What we have to avoid !.......2000-01-13

Professor Benson's book is very interesting and excite. Good thoughts and insights in criminal justice failures. Benson advocates free market administration of crime and punishment as solution. The question in my opinion is: what we have to avoid ? Criminal justice failures or market rules ? What seems a good ideia, maybe is the wrong way and will cause more problems than solutions. Anyway, you can't be pro or against it without this excellent book.

A brilliant follow up to Benson's "The Enterprise of Law".......1999-09-12

What I love about this book is that it is a must read for both Liberals and Conservatives alike. Benson shows step by step why our monopolized "justice" system works against real justice -- and why the poor are the most likely to suffer at its hands. What is most comforting to me (who wholeheartedly agrees with his findings) is his conclusion that whether or not people like it, the privatization of criminal justice is inevitably growing.

Average customer rating:

Critical Issues in Restorative Justice

Manufacturer: Criminal Justice Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Little Book of Restorative Justice (Little Books of Justice & Peacebuilding Series) (The Little Books of Justice & Peacebuilding)
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The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools: Teaching Responsibility; Creating Caring Climates (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding ... Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding)
The Little Book of Circle Processes : A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series)

ASIN: 1881798518

Book Description

In a mere quarter-century, restorative justice has grown from a few scattered experimental projects into a worldwide social movement. Moving beyond its origins within the criminal justice arena, restorative justice is now being applied in schools, homes and the workplace.

The restorative justice approach challenges the idea that state punishment is the best method of achieving justice. This "restorative" alternative strives to directly address the needs of all persons affected by a crime or a harm, often by bringing together victims, offenders and community members in some form of structured mediation or dialogue.

The distinguished contributors to this book are all long-term advocates and practitioners of restorative justice from North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand and South Africa. The 31 chapters confront the key threats to the integrity and effectiveness of the emerging international restorative justice movement: (1) cooptation or diversion from its core mission, and the possibility that reforms may cause unintended consequences; (2) being relegated primarily to "minor" crimes or conflicts, so that it has minimal impact on the overall system or justice; and (3) inherent flaws that undermine its effectiveness, such as failure to address social problems that breed conflicts, and methods skewed by cultural or gender biases.

Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
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Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
Harry R. Dammer , and Erika Fairchild
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Comparative And International Criminal Justice: Traditional And Nontraditional Systems Of Law And Control

Crime and the American Dream (Wadsworth Series in Criminological Theory)

Pursuing Justice

ASIN: 0534615422

Book Description

The revision of this best-selling book presents a comprehensive analysis of how various criminal justice systems throughout the world compare. Harry Dammer has extensively revised the text to reflect the latest trends and most up-to-date information on international juvenile justice, policing and terrorism. By using a topical approach (examining various aspects of each system, such as policing, drugs, sentencing, and juvenile justice) rather than a country- by-country approach, the book gives students a more realistic understanding of the similarities and differences of each system. The authors use six "model" countries (China, England, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and France) to provide specific examples and explore historical, political, economic, social, and cultural influences on each system.

Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How to Make it Right

Average customer rating:

A Must Read
Great book but not the best edition
Frightening butTruthful
A Terrifying Look At The Criminal Justice System
A Must Read

Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How to Make it Right
Barry Scheck , Peter Neufeld , and Jim Dwyer
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Dreams of Ada

ASIN: 0451209826
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Book Description

Here are the stories of innocent men and women-and the system that put them away under the guise of justice. Now updated with new information, Actual Innocence sheds light on "a system that tolerates lying prosecutors, slumbering defense attorneys and sloppy investigators" (Salt Lake Tribune)-revealing the shocking flaws that can derail the legal process and the ways that DNA testing has often shattered so-called solid evidence that condemned American citizens to death.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read.......2007-02-07

If you are at all involved in the criminal justice system or simply like watching Law & Order, this book is a MUST read. The authors are the founders of the Innocence Project, which strives to exonerate the wrongly convicted. Each chapter examines aspects of "what went wrong" in the convictions of people who are completely innocent. The authors also give detailed accounts of people they have helped to exonerate. As a soon-to-be law school graduate, this book is truly an eye-opener, and will certainly guide me in my future career. It's shocking at how easily the innocent can be (and have been) convicted of heinous crimes, and at how difficult it is for them to gain even a chance to prove their innocence.

Again, this book is a must read. It's a quick read, but will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.

Great book but not the best edition.......2006-07-23

Every person should read Actual Innocence to see how 1 in 4 cases are prosecuted against innocent people. This edition omits a graphic which says 50% of these cases involve police and 50% involve prosecutor MISCONDUCT. The other paperback includes this significant information.

It's too bad a more current edition hasn't been written. The book inspired several law schools across the nation to set up Innocence Projects to retry cases for free. Important new information was shared by one of the authors on CNN who stated 20% of DNA tests also have erroneous results. This includes lab error.

God led me to Harvard Business Review, Jun 01 which has an article citing a study where it was shown that decisions made with 90% confidence were made incorrectly 20%-30% of the time, the exact figure cited by the Innocence experts. I emailed that author to ask if the research covers court cases and he indicated positively. So people's lives and reputations can hang on natural human errors, as well as intentional errors described in Actual Innocence. I wasn't able to locate an email address for Actual Innocence authors to forward this information to them.

One of the most striking revelations DNA testing has provided is 25% of rape cases are dismissed indicating it's likely the same figure holds for all cases in which DNA isn't a factor. That means every public record of tickets and crimes you see is likely to list 1 out of 4 who are actually innocent. And everyone pays for it.

This also means the old cliche' that everyone in prison says they are innocent is not something that should be ignored as 1 out of 4 statistically are innocent. I've personally seen a case where the perpetrator was guilty for part of the charges but was also given points and jail time for charges that he wasn't guilty of. So I'd also love to ask the authors if their figures include that kind of error.

Frightening butTruthful.......2006-06-26

I read "Actual Innocence" a few years ago, it was well written and informative. However, I found the stories frightening; I could not believe incidents as these really happen. I have spent the last two years doing research on several cases about false imprisonment and wrongful execution, from my research I discovered these stores are based on fact.
I guess what is terrifying in another book I read the author states that these incidents never happen; but did not site any information proving her point.
I recommend "Actual Innocence" to everyone; because it can happen to you. This is not a scare tactic or a conspiracy theory but fact.

A Terrifying Look At The Criminal Justice System.......2005-02-24

What does a person do when he/she has actual innocence, but he/she is convicted of a crime? Let's explain actual innocence. We are talking about the cases when a person has nothing to do with a crime and is not connected to the crime in any way, not about a technicality, but about a person just like the reader of this book who has absolutely nothing to do with a crime. This is, you must admit, a terrifying situation. However, it happens again and again. Read the book "Bloodsworth" as a good true story on how this kind of thing happens.

How does this happen? Unfortunately, it happens too easily. One reason is because eyewitness testimony is incredibly unreliable and almost never reaches the quality of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. But this is not properly explained to juries by the judges or prosecutors because too many cases rely on eyewitness testimony and if the truth be known then prosecutors would not be able to get enough convictions to satisfy the publics thrist for revenge when a crime has occurred.

One way out of this mess is DNA, but only when DNA is available and only when the lead is pursued. In the case of Bloodsworth, mentioned above, who was 100% actually innocent, he finally got out of the mess after almost ten years of living hell and only because a good lawyer found a small amount of DNA.

How many innocent people are in prison because of ridiculous eyewitness testimony and where there is no way out without a good lawyer and some DNA?

A Must Read.......2003-08-07

This book is a must read for attorneys and non-attorneys alike. It is a terrifying glimpse at the criminal justice system. However, it is not without hope. The authors have several suggestions about improving the sad state of affairs, and if the book is read by enough people involved in the criminal justice system, it may work!

Average customer rating:

Expensive Reprint of Free Information
Nice
Good Reason It's a CLASSIC! (9th Ed./InfoTrac Incl.)

The American System of Criminal Justice
George F. Cole , and Christopher E. Smith
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

Study Guide for Cole/Smith's The American System of Criminal Justice, 11th
Crime and Evidence in Action CD-ROM
Internet Activities for Criminal Justice, 2nd
Guide to Careers in Criminal Justice

ASIN: 0495006017

Book Description

This classic best-seller, commonly referred to as "The Eagle", encourages students to become better citizens and to determine what justice means in our society as well as what role individuals play in the criminal justice system. This text examines criminal justice as an interdisciplinary endeavor, sharing elements from criminology, sociology, law, history, psychology, and political science. It challenges students to balance the mechanics and system of criminal justice with the human side of the story. Cole and Smith present an exciting and relevant introduction to the field of criminal justice. The text combines solid research and intellectual rigor in an approachable manner with detailed attention to current and compelling events to help students appreciate the many aspects of the discipline, and how they can participate in the system as citizens of the United States. Available for the first time with Criminal JusticeNow™, a Web-based, intelligent study system.

Customer Reviews:

Expensive Reprint of Free Information.......2006-12-18

This book is a great example of the passive exploitation of the college textbook market. Publishers have perfected the art of having an expert slap together material that is not elaborated upon enough for advanced students, or which repackages information that can be obtained cheaply (or freely) elsewhere. Then the publisher can charge a grossly inflated price for the book, encourage professors to require it for students, then keep the price high by forcing scarcity in the marketplace for those same students who are forced to buy a copy at any cost. This particular book will only ever be purchased by college students in communications law, most of whom can get 99.9% of the knowledge herein for FREE. Here's the rub - this book is almost entirely made up of reprints of court case documents, which record the rulings and reasonings of judges. But if you are a college student - that is, a member of the only possible market demographic for this book - then your college probably offers free or inexpensive access to database services (such as LexisNexis or WestLaw) that compile this information for scholars.

In this book, the "author" Zelezny has supplied a brief introduction that is so brief as to be useless. Then each chapter has an introductory page that features a paragraph on the overall topic, followed by a list of one-sentence descriptions of why each of the selected cases is of interest. Then the court documents for each of the cases are simply reproduced (with some omissions that enhance brevity but damage full learning), and only a handful of those cases are supported by any explanatory introductions or conclusions from Zelezny. In short, Zelezny just barely tells you why he's reprinting information that is free elsewhere. Instead of buying this completely extraneous book, the student would be better served by simply learning which cases are considered classics in communications law, then reading the cases (plus their supporting documents to boot) on the computer network offered by the campus that holds the class that requires this book. Guess which one costs less. [~doomsdayer520~]

Nice.......2006-09-02

My book arrived within five days of placing my order, which was wonderful because I started class the very next day. There was some writing in it as described, but I don't care because it's a book, and as long as I can read the text, that's all that's really important. Anyway, the book was in great condition, it was the right edition, and it's easy to read. Thanks for the great service!

Good Reason It's a CLASSIC! (9th Ed./InfoTrac Incl.).......2002-05-03

"Must-have" if you're interested in law or law school bound...Superb reference and learning book (there is also a Study Guide -- harder to find); you'll keep this book for years of use! If you take a Criminal Justice course, this is the text you should hope the prof demands. It is truly the best out there. Yes, it's pricy - but worth every dollar.

Average customer rating:

(RAW Rating: 4.5) - What is happening to black men?
Why Are So Many Black Men In Prison? A Comprehensive Account Of How And Why The Prison Industry Has Become A Predatory Entity In
A Must Read
Why are so many Black Men in Prison?
Why are so many blacks in prison?

Why Are So Many Black Men in Prison?
Demico Boothe
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Kill Them Before They Grow: The Misdiagnosis of African American Boys in America's Classrooms
The State of Black America 2007: Portrait of the Black Male
Visions for Black Men
Motivating and Preparing Black Youth for Success
The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture

ASIN: 1425713971

Customer Reviews:

(RAW Rating: 4.5) - What is happening to black men?.......2007-08-04

Demico Boothe has explored the reasons so many black men are indeed in prison in, WHY ARE SO MANY BLACK MEN IN PRISON? He begins with his own story of a shaky upbringing and his subsequent dabbling in drug dealing. He was caught with a few grams of crack cocaine but because it was the dreaded crack, he was given 10 years in prison. When he left prison after serving his time, he was actually railroaded back into prison by a crooked justice system. He delves deeply into our justice system and the motives behind all the new prisons that are being built. He gives succinct and reasonable views of exactly what is happening now in the United States and how the past has played a role in the present. He uses persuasive statistics regarding the number of black men in prison as compared to the number of white men who are incarcerated.

Demico Boothe has done an excellent job of researching his subject and it is a plus, if unfortunate for him, that he has actually experienced first hand what he's talking about. I knew I was hearing the real story rather than just statistics from an intellectual who had no real idea of what the prison system is really like. I would have liked for Boothe to search a little deeper into the Haiti, Aristide and USA question, maybe even reading Randall Robinson's take on the situation, and then he might see it a bit differently. Otherwise, it is a good book and one every one in America should read. We indeed, have a crisis going on.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Why Are So Many Black Men In Prison? A Comprehensive Account Of How And Why The Prison Industry Has Become A Predatory Entity In.......2007-06-09

The book was very interesting. I learned soooo much about the government and the prison industry. I did some searching independantly to check on the things reported in the book and they are very true. Great Read!! Buy the book.

A Must Read.......2007-05-25

Mr. Demico's book is a must-read for anyone concerned about young African American men. Although I did not agree with every conclusion he reached, Demico's main premises are convincing. As a white woman who teaches mainly students of color, I am always impressed, and often in awe, of those young men who reach college with so much going against them. Demico's books lays bare not only the horrible inequalities of our society, but also the racist attitudes of our political system - - Democrats, Republicans, and most everyone in between.

Why are so many Black Men in Prison?.......2007-05-13

I is a well put together book. He really goes into a lot of detail of how our society is really set up.

Why are so many blacks in prison?.......2007-05-12

I found this book very interesting. As a white devil myself, I had no idea that I was responsible for forcing blacks into committing crimes and then subsequently clogging up the whole "Prison Industrial Complex"(tm). I will try to stop causing this, as I am sure it is creating a LOT of trouble for everyone! Sorry!

It is probably also my fault that young black men dressed in XXXXL clothes overtly threaten me and my family members routinely. Can anyone tell me what I should do to make this not happen?

I imagine it's also my fault that black on white violent crime is WAY higher than white on black violent crime, even though blacks constitute about 12.5% of the population, and whites are about 70%. But since it is impossible for a black to commit a hate crime according to our criminal justice system (since blacks are not under any circumstances racist), statistically, there are more white on black hate crimes. Boothe notes a statistic regarding hate crimes, but he skips the one about interracial violence in general.

In sum, Boothe notes that just about everything blacks do is actually MY fault, because my skin is white. Boothe, I've got a word for you.

Introspection.

Comparative Criminal Justice Systems: A Topical Approach (4th Edition)

Average customer rating:

An International Perspective on Foreign Legal Systems

Comparative Criminal Justice Systems: A Topical Approach (4th Edition)
Philip L. Reichel
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0131131591

Customer Reviews:

An International Perspective on Foreign Legal Systems.......2002-01-12

"Comparative Criminal Justice Systems: a Topical Approach" is a study of a few foreign legal systems with a political approach and an "international perspective". According to the author, Phil L. Reichel, the goal of his book is to extend the reader's knowledge about other countries, their citizens and their cultures but most important to find ways to improve society; not only at a local but at a global level as well.

In this book, Reichel talks about interesting facts about crime and crime rate around the world. For example, crime statistics may not be accurate due to lack of means to report them-small villages away from the city; same legal system encourages law officials not to make reports, political reason. Reichel also talks about substantive law and procedural law in the four legal traditions.

Amazon.com

"In my everyday life over the last fifty years, it has been my curious lot to move among the rich and famous and powerful, always as an outsider, always listening, watching, remembering."

Writing about the crimes of the rich and famous for Vanity Fair with this insider's status, Dominick Dunne has borne witness to the often bizarre personalities who surround high-profile cases and their telling intimacies. Andrea Reynolds, for instance, dressed only in a negligee and jewelry, insists that her jewels are finer than those of the comatose woman in whose apartment she resides and whom her lover, Claus von Bulow, is charged with attempting to murder. The essays in Justice offer a fascinating, disturbing, and wry look at the cast of a half dozen high-profile trials, including Lyle and Erik Menendez, who murdered their affluent parents; Marvin Pancoast, who beat the $18,000-a-month mistress of Alfred Bloomingdale to death with a baseball bat; the multibillionaire banker Edmund Safra, who suffocated in his own bunker-like bathroom in Monaco; and the gossiping members of Los Angeles society during "All O.J., All the Time."

The most moving story by far is the title piece, about the murder of Dunne's daughter, the actress Dominique Dunne, by her ex-boyfriend, who walked away with a pitifully light sentence thanks to the extremes taken by his defense lawyer and the vanity of the judge. While the succeeding stories don't have the same poignancy, Dunne still makes them personal--after all, he knows many of those involved, and justice truly is personal for him. In fact, it is this moral authority that enables him to enter the strange universe of high-society crime and write about it with no pretense of objectivity, but rather with rage toward the short shrift justice is so often given in celebrity cases. The counterpoint to his anger is a delicious irony in the form of fascinating subplots, jet-set gossip, and terrific quotes straight from some of the horses' mouths. Dunne has both a sharp sense of the absurd and a trenchant eye for injustice in any form. --Lesley Reed

Book Description

For more than two decades, Vanity Fair has published Dominick Dunne’s brilliant, revelatory chronicles of the most famous crimes, trials, and punishments of our time. Here, in one volume, are Dominick Dunne’s mesmerizing tales of justice denied and justice affirmed. Whether writing of Claus von Bülow’s romp through two trials; the Los Angeles media frenzy surrounding O.J. Simpson; the death by fire of multibillionaire banker Edmond Safra; or the Greenwich, Connecticut, murder of Martha Moxley and the indictment—decades later—of Michael Skakel, Dominick Dunne tells it honestly and tells it from his unique perspective. His search for the truth is relentless.

With new essay, “Mourning In New York,” about September 11, 2001.

Customer Reviews:

Names galore.......2007-09-14

The man cannot string two words together without name dropping. It is disgusting and so is he.

The reality behind justice.......2007-07-10

A fascinating book into how high priced lawyers can convince any jury your Mother is worse than a serial killer. Essentially that is the conclusion I got from the book.

Some of the stories are too long and complicated with lots of names, so that is why I am giving it 4 instead of 5 stars. It also was not clear to me what exactly happened in some of the murders, particularly the last one on Safre.

Well written, but repetitive.......2007-03-23

Most of these pieces appeared in Vanity Fair, and the overlap in some of them about the O.J. Simpson trial is left in. About 10 minutes worth of editing could have solved that problem. Otherwise, this is a passionate account of Dunne's view of several of the high profile cases he's made a career of covering since exiting the movie business. The most interesting is the case of his own daughter's murderer, but the Menendez stories and the Michael Skakel case make fascinating prose. Definitely worth reading, even now, long after these trials ended.

Human comedy: celebrity trials expose the comedy of human existence .......2007-01-11

Dominick Dunne received a lifeline from a Washington Post reporter seeking to report the story of David Begelman's forgery. Dunne felt he was a Hollywood failure, and so, he admits, the desire for revenge drove him to help the reporter get his story. In 1982 Dunne's daughter, Dominique, was murdered. He felt the trial of her killer was a travesty. The author's first magazine piece for VANITY FAIR concerned that trial. Dunne covered the retrial of Claus von Bulow. Trials can be boring, but people involved in them are not. He had gone to Hollywood to work on PLAYHOUSE 90 with Martin Manulis.

In writing about the trial focusing on Dominique's death, Dunne repeats the adage that the murder victim is always placed on trial. In trials, journalists jockey for position. Trial-going in Hollywood highlights dysfunctions in the criminal justice system. Where the fact-finder fails to be impartial, and/or where the lawyer-teams opposing each other are disproportionate in terms of resources, results are skewed. A trial, of course, is theater. The glare of publicity never seems to serve the ends of justice; but, of course, injustices may also take place in relative obscurity.

What Dominick Dunne brings to trial reportage is his experience as the parent of a murder victim and his knowledge of the customs of the entertainment industry. Dunne reports that in the trial of O.J. Simpson the public sent bouquets of flowers to the participants. Juries don't like female prosecutors but do like female defense attorneys. The author believes an effective defense attorney must possess a mean streak. Most of the book's chapters are devoted to the Simpson case. Monte Carlo has been described as a sunny place for shady people. Edmond Safer, a financier, died there in a fire. A Dunne fiction work, A SEASON IN PURGATORY, was based on the Martha Moxley murder case. When he wrote his novel, that case had not been solved, even after some twenty odd years.

My most unusual review.......2006-11-02

I have never written a review like this before, and feel compelled to share my thoughts, honest and forward, to anyone considering reading this book.

I picked it up and could not put it down.
I wish I had never read it.

It is a book that is so terribly sad, especially with the story of the author's daughter's murder, and it is written with a skill that is not often seen: a combination of honesty, pithy expressions, pain, joy, and a constellation of emotions that all masterfully come together.

Why do I wish I had never read it?

If you have any connection to the court system, you already know that lying is so common place that it is frightening. People swear an oath and lie with impunity, but reading of the injustice, for instance, that this man suffered in his daughter's murder, or all the spin that OJ's "dream team" used, in short clips to reporters, feeding the public red herrings; deliberate lies, knowing that public influence will reach even a sequested jury, is just horrible to read. The glam of hollywood is sickening and reading about how terribly hated white people were by blacks supporting OJ...knowing that this woman, who was brutally murdered along with an innocent bystander, only to hear that a male black juror could say, "she got what she deserved" is sickening. It brought back all those terrible emotions as race relations in 1994 revealed a black on white hatred that I was, quite frankly, ignorant of its depth.

Reading of wealthy scoundrels like Johnnie Cochrin and others is very difficult. You wonder whether or not these talented men possessed a conscience. The only comforting thought it that in the afterlife, Providence will decree justice. The man with the long record of violence against women, of which record the judge (wink, wink to the defense attorney he was buddies with) would not allow to be admitted, served 2 1/2 years for the murder of a bright and wonderful young woman is almost more than the reader can bear. Dunne brings you into this pain; perhaps as close as a stranger can come to feeling the maddening frustration that he and his family felt during this trial. How Dunne was able to do this, is beyond me, but he did it. Don't read the book if you cannot bear to be that close to pain.

It reminds me of the story of Bob Dylan, giving an interview in 1974, after many years of not talking to the press. The woman interviewing him starts off with, "I just want to say that I really enjoy your new album, Blood on the Tracks". Dylan says, "I can't understand anyone enjoying that much pain" and gets up and walks out.

I wanted to stop reading, quite often, but continued.

Reader: proceed with caution. It is not about race, as people of decency, no matter what race, will be terribly upset by what they read.

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