Book Description
Bruce Cutler, one of the most famous lawyers in America, has never told his story—until now. Best known for his tenacious and highly publicized defense of John Gotti in the 1980s and early 1990s, Cutler personified a confidence, passion, and legal thoroughness that repeatedly defied a government determined to bring Gotti to his knees. A ubiquitous presence at Gotti’s side in and out of the courtroom—and on the front pages of newspapers around the country—Cutler became almost as infamous as his client. And, as John Gotti became a lightning rod for every prosecutor seeking glory, reputation, or promotion, Cutler too became a lightning rod for controversy. According to the feds, Bruce Cutler may have gotten too close, and they made sure that both he and his client paid the price.
Cutler, the son of a detective turned lawyer, resolved his choice of profession early in life and plunged headlong into the tumultuous and at times surreal world of the New York legal system. In
Closing Argument, Cutler recounts his time as an aggressive, tireless assistant D.A. in Brooklyn; how he switched sides and became a fiercely dedicated defense attorney working with Barry Slotnick, one of New York’s
premier criminal attorneys; and the path that led him to John Gotti’s side in court. It was March 28, 1985,
to be precise: He was thirty-six years old, and it was a moment that would change both men’s lives forever.
Closing Argument is the inside story of how Bruce Cutler and John Gotti frustrated the feds so much
that they finally had to break the rules themselves to convict the so-called Teflon Don. The years Cutler and Gotti spent together were a kind of golden age of criminal (and in particular organized crime) litigation, and both lawyer and client were at the red-hot center of it all. What neither man may have realized then is that the famous trials were mostly about the government’s wanting to put an end to a certain way of life, one that John Gotti and his like embodied. The conviction of Gotti, and his subsequent death in 2002 while serving a life sentence in solitary confinement, marked the end of an era.
Closing Argument is a glimpse into the world of John Gotti: the talk around the table at the notorious Ravenite social club; the murder of Paul Castellano; Gotti’s feelings about the treachery of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano and the alleged betrayal by Wilfred “Willie Boy” Johnson; and what it took to make it in a world with its own set of unbreakable rules.
This fascinating document makes clear that Gotti and Cutler were perfectly matched. Their inability to compromise, their full-throttle approach to their defense, and the charisma that made them the favorites of the press, were their strengths and, ironically, what made them such inviting targets to a host of prosecutors.
Bruce Cutler, in typical style, pulls no punches in
Closing Argument. It is very rare for a practicing lawyer to talk with the kind of candor he does here, and it is rarer for any lawyer to ever become as passionate
and emotionally involved as he did with his client, John Gotti.
Customer Reviews:
Give me a break!.......2003-10-15
Bruce Cutler is a self serving loud mouth who spends an entire book telling us what a great lawyer he is. Given the allegations of jury tampering (which was the reason he was banned from representing Gotti a third time and may be the reason Gotti was acquitted the first two times) and his pitiful track record anywhere else where the true practice of law is required, it is no wonder he wrote a book - no one who values their rights and their freedom would hire this guy.
Courtroom Gladiator and Bare Knuckles Champ.......2003-03-30
The cure for everyone tired of slick lawyers whose business cards should say "Have Word Processor, Will Travel." Cutler is the Method Actor of the Bar. He tries cases from the inside out, with no cynicism, no patronization of the jury, and no distaste for the client hidden under a barrel of glib professionalism. Cutler lays his thoughts and feelings bare in this book, and it's an inspiration. If you're in law school, reading it may remind you why you bothered. If you're in practice, it will inspire you to try cases. If you're a gangster, it will make you check your address book to see if you have Cutler's number. For everyone else, a hugely entertaining, edifying book about America, the legal system, the System, and a guy who has the b--ls to buck it and often win.
Book Description
Court TV host Nancy Grace presents her case in this behind-the-scenes look at the high-profile cases everyone is talking about ancy Grace is a name millions of Americans recognize from her regular appearances on Court TV and Larry King Live. Legions of loyal fans tune in for her opinions on today's high-profile cases and her expert commentary on the challenges facing the American judicial system. Now, in Objection!, she makes her case for what's wrong with the legal system and what can be done about it.
Customer Reviews:
Taking on the liberal justice system! .......2007-09-16
Nancy Grace takes on our liberal, soft on crime, pro criminal, anti victim justice system and she takes them on hard and she is holding nothing back! If you are a Nancy Grace fan you will love this book! Nancy Grace at her BEST!
OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS FOR SALE.......2007-07-27
This is one amazing woman. The story about how she became a lawyer is nothing short of awe inspiring. And the stories in the court room will make you cringe and maybe even cry. And then there's the stories of the high profile celebrities who walked after they murdered. Very disconcerting and nauseous.
Disappointing........2007-04-14
Pandering.
Easy read though. As she implicitly acknowledges in every chapter of this book, she's a prime example of what she's criticizing.
She also appears to be intellectually dishonest and does not respect the legal system. Her tirades (and "tirades" is fairly accurate) against high priced defense attorneys (easy target, everybody hates them, right? me too) are quite simplistic for what I'd expect from a former prosecutor.
I can't believe that a person who comes across as a fairly average thinker, and a zealot, somehow managed to achieve a 100% conviction rate, without bending the rules a LOT.
Still, not a bad read. Burned through it very fast.
I would have given it 2 stars, until I found out there were sections in the book plagiarized. An former officer of the court who steals intellectual property, that deserves a ZERO.
Media and money can win you a case........2007-02-14
Nancy Grace host of her own show on CNN, a legal commentator on Court TV and a former prosecutor who never loss a case criticizes the criminal justice system including defense attorneys, judges, and juries. She also comments on controversial cases like Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, and Scout Peterson among others. She also suggests ways to reform the legal process to help victims of crime rather then criminals. Her book is factual and you can tell she has a zeal for justice. And I agree with almost everything she says in this book, especially that criminals should not profit from their convictions.
She's Nuts!.......2007-02-02
It is impossible to read this pitifully bad book without also conjuring up the image of Nancy Grace on CNN. She appears nightly with her face invariably twisted and contorted in rage and disgust, while bullying the weak and hapless and hopeless. It is beyond bizarre that CNN allows this embarrassing, demented freak to continue to appear on its programming. Nancy Grace may be the meanest and most cynical person appearing on television. And she's crazy.
Average customer rating:
- No Courtroom Drama Here.
- Excellent outing for Wilhelm's character, Barbara Holloway..
- A fun, engrossing read
- Great legal suspense
- Reviewed by Ann L. Bruns for Bookreporter.com
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No Defense
Kate Wilhelm
Manufacturer: Minotaur Books
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ASIN: 0312209533 |
Amazon.com
Frank and Barbara Holloway, the Pacific Northwest father-daughter legal duo familiar to Wilhelm's (For the Defense, Defense for the Devil) many fans, go east of the Cascades to Oregon's ruggedly beautiful high desert to investigate the strange death of Vinny Jessup. Was it a suicide staged to look like murder by Vinny's young wife Lara in order to collect a big insurance policy? Or was it murder set up to look like suicide by a right-wing judge in line for a nomination to the Supreme Court---the man Vinny Jessup believed responsible for framing his beloved younger son for murder nearly two decades ago? Wilhelm's strong suit is character development; here she introduces Manny Truewater, an intriguing Native American lawyer who was Vinny's partner and best friend (and worthy of a starring role in his own book), and also adds new dimensions to both the Holloways with a love affair that tests Barbara's commitment to her personal independence and a nascent career for Frank as a published writer. She's at her best when describing the power structures of a small town and the relationships that tie the Jessups to the ambitions of the people who really run things; while the pace is leisurely, the writing is assured, the ends neatly tied up, and the gorgeous landscape of a harsh and rugged region beautifully depicted. --Jane Adams
Book Description
Barbara Holloway's a trial lawyer who tends to take on difficult cases. One involved a woman accused of killing her own child, another involved a mentally handicapped man, and her last one found her entangled in such a mess that it's a wonder she lived through it at all.
But in every previous case she has had some fragment with which she could build an argument. This time out, it seems there's no defense at all.
Lara and Vinny Jessup had a lovely May-December marriage. It renewed his lease on life after a battle with cancer, and it rescued her from a bad first marriage.
Initially, the sheriff out in Loomis County thinks that Vinny died when his car rolled over on a bad curve on Lookout Mountain. Then he finds the gunshot wound. Was it suicide or was it murder? With a large insurance policy as her motive, Lara could have staged the death---or so it appears to the sheriff.
Barbara Holloway finds herself drawn to the Oregon desert to take on this case, accompanied by her associates: her colleague Shelley with her Barbie-doll looks, the inimitable detective Bailey Novell, and her father Frank (who's soon to be a published writer!).
But the case itself is as dead as the desert. Is there any defense at all?
Compelling and distinctive, this drama demonstrates anew why Kate Wilhelm is considered a master of the form.
Customer Reviews:
No Courtroom Drama Here........2005-11-11
A lawyer's worst nightmare is having an innocent client with no defense. It's easier to get a known criminal off or with a reduced sentence by admitting to a lesser charge, but to prove a person did not commit a crime when only mitigating charges can send him to jail for something he did not do is common and almost impossible to prove or disprove.
I do believe that the state of Oregon is populated with transplants from Tennessee who name the places after the towns they left behind. Strawberry Mountain could be Strawberry Plains north of Knoxville, and everybody knows that Lookout Mountain is in Chattanooga. They even have a town named McMinnville after one in Middle Tennessee.
These mountain people with their ranches and gun-justice as different from those in the East. The western part of the United States was full of outlaws, cowboys, bank robbers, those who bought their own justice. These legal maneuverings took place in conference rooms, hallways, anywhere except the courtroom where the judge is supposed to be impartial and dispense justice fairly. It never works that way. Most judgments are decided on in private conferences and already in written form before the perpetrator ever gets to stand before his judge.
This story is no exception. From start to finish, you know that the accused is not guilty of her husband's murder, which she thought had been a possible suicide. Her lawyers take her on an emotional joyride before making sure she goes free. But, that's the way lawyers enjoy doing things. It makes them feel like saviors and deserving of the high costs they exact for play-acting in and out of court. Criminal lawyers bluff their way by blackmailing the other side, and sometimes the judge. Judges love to grandstand. It's all here in much detail. In the past, I worked for some lawyers and know first hand how the judges use and abuse them, sometimes just for the fun of it. Once, I was told by the police chief that "don't you know, there is no justice." I do know that smalltown judges hate big city lawyers, and will do anything in their power to see that they lose the case. Now, that's not justice. It's not what our Constitution stands for, nor what the accused is guaranteed under the laws of this land. In the West, they make their own laws, and always have.
Kate Wilhelm likes to write about legal matters; she did write a science fiction classic, WHERE LATE THE STREET BIRDS SANG, and THE GOOD CHILDREN destined to be made into a movie. She is from Oregon and uses that background for the subjects she knows.
Excellent outing for Wilhelm's character, Barbara Holloway.........2001-12-06
"No Defense" brings out the best in Kate Wilhelm's style of courtroom drama. The reality of the criminal courtroom in her series is really not the time in court (punctuated by unexpected admissions of guilt or anguish by witnesses or defendants, that you see in TV courtrooms) but the planning, strategy and negotiation that goes on before the trial starts, during the trial, in and around the offices of the defense and the prosecutor, and the location where the defendant is held until the trial is concluded.
Without the hystrionics, Wilhelm's courtroom may be a little too colorless for both, as well might her main character, Barbara,
who has no quirky behaviors or hidden secrets. Barbara's main relationship in life is with her attorney father - another reason why the series may be too boring for those who like the addition of sex and violence.
Nevertheless, the straightforward telling of a murder case that may have been a suicide was difficult for me to put down, and the final actions and reactions that reveal the murderer, and a lot of the town secrets, kept me guessing up to the final pages.
Throw in some terrific writing about scenic Oregon (most of us will learn for the first time about the desert in the eastern part of the state), and a bit of comedy connected with Frank Holloway's budding career as a writer, and you get a terrific tale that you will really enjoy.
A talented, award-winning novelist who can outcraft the "attorneys who are also novelists", Wilhelm will quickly become a favorite for you.
A fun, engrossing read.......2001-03-03
If you like mysteries, then you should read about Barbara Holloway, super sleuth/lawyer who rescues another victim of shady proceedings. This one barely had any defense when Barbara is called upon to defend the wife of a man who was killed in an accident. Only, after an investigation, the man was discovered to be murdered and the spotlight of suspicion turns upon his wife. Barbara has to find evidence that the wife didn't do it ~~ and she takes you along on a journey of investigating what really happened that night on the mountaintop!!
Once again, Kate Wilhelm takes you along for a ride. She draws you into the story ~~ just look at the first sentence in the book ... "The rising sun is veiled with desert haze, rose-red streaks extending north and south against a royal blue that only gradually turns maeve." And there you go ... hooked into the story with its backdrop against the desert and the mountains.
Wilhem is a master writer ~~ everyone should try reading one of her Holloway books and once they do, they're fans for life. Wilhelm doesn't disappoint her readers!!
Great legal suspense.......2001-01-22
Combine a suicide which might be a murder, a young widow with a big insurance payoff, an old unsolved disappearance/murder, a rich family which controls the county, and a federal judge with secrets and you have the ingredients for a first-rate mystery. As this story unfolds and Barbara Holloway, a no-nonsense lawyer, comes onboard to protect the interests of the widow, we know that something dark happened and we know that more than one person is hiding knowledge of just what happened. Not until near the end, however, does the author unveil the explosive secrets. This novel will grab your attention from the beginning and the suspense will sustain you 'til the denouement. It is, in a word, excellent.
Reviewed by Ann L. Bruns for Bookreporter.com.......2000-03-28
REVIEW There are times when I'm just plain tired of high powered legal thrillers. You know the type. The featured attorney is either the most eligible bachelor in town or the most drop-dead gorgeous female to ever grace a courtroom. And while defending their clients, they become embroiled in a life-or-death struggle with the real villain of the piece --- barely escaping bullets, bombs, and the like. Sound familiar?
In NO DEFENSE Kate Wilhelm has recaptured the good old-fashioned courtroom drama, the Perry Mason style of suspense, and done it admirably. No fireworks, no superhero stunts, no murderers lurking in dark hallways; just tough investigating, smart deducing and a few courtroom theatrics to heighten the anticipation. It works.
Wilhelm's featured character, Barbara Holloway, is a defense attorney with a passion for seemingly hopeless cases. When her father Frank is approached by a young woman with a mysterious request for legal advice, he enlists Barbara's help to unravel a peculiar puzzle. Lara Jessup's husband has died under mysterious circumstances. Was it suicide or murder? What happened to the documents he was supposedly taking to Harris McReady that night, and what was in them? And what does a large box of papers --- years worth of investigation into this powerful man, Judge McReady, --- have to do with Vinny Jessup's death and the disappearance of Vinny's son years ago?
Even though the Holloways suspect McReady is involved, as well as his powerful in-laws, Thomas and Anna Lynch (who are backing McReady for a Supreme Court judgeship), they soon find that their client was seen at the site of the murder and is the one being charged. It doesn't help that the Jessup's were a May-December marriage and there's a large insurance policy involved. With no apparent defense, Barbara and her team must research the perplexing mound of paperwork to discover why the judge, his wife Babe, and his father-in-law are all so anxious to find the originals of those missing documents and railroad Lara into a plea bargain.
Not only is the blow by blow courtroom narrative fascinating, but the characters that Wilhelm has fashioned are interesting people that add further dimension to the storyline itself. Take Manny Truewater, for instance. A Native American lawyer who shared a practice with Vinny, he knows the history behind the Jessups, the Lynchs and McReady. He moves in and out of scenes, dropping tantalizing details and throwing up a few roadblocks here and there to antagonize the opposition. He's a man with more insight than others realize and who knows far more than he's telling.
Barbara's father is someone you'd love to know; someone you'd fondly describe as "a character." He's the anchor that keeps Barbara from drifting into trouble, the calming influence when the case appears lost, and the inveterate social butterfly who can get literally anyone to tell him anything. Toss in a wiseacre investigator named Bailey, who hates working in the desert heat and never met a meal he didn't like, and you've got a mix of people ripe with personality to add a bit of fun to the lawyerly proceedings.
NO DEFENSE may be a little too laid-back for those who demand larger-than-life heroes, psychotics running amuck, and a body count that could populate Toledo. But then again, if you enjoy grappling with whodunnits that will keep you riveted, Kate Wilhelm is just the ticket.
--- Reviewed by Ann L. Bruns
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Defense of the Gospels and the LCMS Heritage.......2006-01-01
This synopsis may not be as thorough or eloquent as some of the other reviews, but I wanted to voice my appreciation for Mr. Parton's work in this book.
It seemed to me that this book can be divided into two major categories. One is a critique exposing the differences between Evangelicalism and Lutheran theology. The second is the defense of both the Gospel writings and the resurrection of Christ.
I enjoyed the meticulous dissection of the differences between the two theologies and worship styles. He helped me to appreciate the reverence, intellectual thought, confession of sins, and liturgical meaning of the LCMS church. I have attended many, many services at these Evangelical churches - and even though they may have more up-beat and energetic services, most have lost the reverence and the inclusion of the Law that is so very needed. These services and sermons tend to focus on the theme "Don't worry, be happy" (and clap along). Not all of them are like this, but too many seem to be.
I also very much enjoyed the Christian apology that Mr. Parton put forth. Even though he builds a number of cases for defending the Gospels and then the resurrection (and does a good job doing so), he notes that it certainly isn't 'water-tight' or 'bullet-proof', but then links this to our legal system where even a man sentenced to capital punishment doesn't necessarily have to have ABSOLUTE proof of his crime presented at the trial. But this is what biblical skeptics seem to require!
Overall I thought it a very good book defending the Lutheran (LCMS) theology and liturgy.
Read this book!.......2004-01-18
This is a refreshing book that explains the confessional Lutheran heritage. Parton draws the reader into the greater picture of Christendom and shows how the rest of Christianity urgently needs the courageous confession of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ that Lutheranism has always been built on. Vividly and with strong emotion, Parton describes to the reader how he and his family found their way to Lutheranism from Evangelicalism. He shows how his search for a Christ-centered church led him to Lutheranism (to his own surprise), where he found Jesus Christ crucified at the center of the church's "prayed, spoken, and sung confession." Beautifully he describes his family's first encounter with the historic liturgy, while leaving Evangelicalism, and how stunned they were by the profoundness and reverence of the liturgy they found in the church of the Reformation. Throughout the book Parton's discussion of Lutheran liturgy and confession give the reader a thorough appreciation of the Lutheran heritage. He shows how we are, and need to remain a church that gives solid testimony to the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ-for the sake of an unbelieving world, for the sake of the increasingly shallow American Christianity, and for our own sake.
Parton also presents a "powerful critique of American Christianity" and shows why we need to undertake the apologetical and Biblical task to "contend for the faith" (Jude 3). He shows how the thoroughly Scriptural focus of the Lutheran confessions-as written in the Book of Concord-and our Christ-centered approach to theology and life, make the Lutheran Church perfectly fit for engaging in this task. We draw the essential distinction between Law and Gospel that is almost universally lacking in American Christianity, and we make clear that conversion is worked by the Holy Spirit. In other words we understand that we do nothing to accomplish our own salvation. Parton addresses many of the concerns raised by those within the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) who feel that apologetics (and specifically evidential apologetics) have no place in Lutheran theology. He shows how apologetics, properly used, does not claim to work conversion, but removes stumbling blocks that prevent many from even giving consideration to the Gospel. A brief treatment of such apologetics is presented in the book.
Another essential distinction drawn in Lutheranism is that reason functions in both kingdoms, but that in the Kingdom of God it functions ministerially (by serving), not majesterially (by judging/ruling). Here again is ample justification for why Lutheranism is apt for apologetics. We know that mankind's reason is never to be put in judgment over the Scriptures, and thus we avoid the rationalism that destroys the sacraments and other truths of Scripture. Parton draws attention to several points in the New Testament where the apostles and evangelists specifically contended for the faith by pointing to the evidence for the truth claims of Christianity. They were so convinced of the factuality of Christ's death and resurrection, that the apostle Paul was "so bold as to hinge the case for Christianity explicitly, and entirely, on the facticity of the Resurrection." Indeed we today ought likewise to confess and defend the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as a real event that took place in history, not just some metaphorical story. For this Good News is the reason for the existence of the church and the forgiveness and eternal life that we receive.
If you are questioning, or have questions about the liturgy, our confessions, or about the use of apologetics in the church, I highly recommend this book for your consideration. It is also a book that I would readily give to a fellow Christian who is questioning their faith or searching for a church with Christ-centered Biblical substance. The Defense Never Rests should also encourage us to take pride in the unique and faithful confession of Christ that our church has given historically, and must continue to give. To that end, to God alone be the glory!
Relevant for Students in Need of Clear Answers.......2003-10-16
As a student in a secular college, I have found this book to be relevant to the topics presented by my history and philosophy professors. It is a good starting point for people who want an understanding of the historical claims of Christianity. The author provides an excellent appendix for further study.
Presently, many Christian authors and leaders are addressing the problems of "American" Christianity--a brand of Christianity that seems to have become more like the world and has lost confidence in the authority and historicity of the Bible. The tendency of these authors is to point fingers or grasp at the newest idea. Mr. Parton's book, however, captures the struggle many of us feel about the need for change and he emphasizes the power that existed during the Reformation.
This is a must for any student or religious scholar wanting clear answers about Christianity.
Firm Foundation.......2003-08-21
Mr. Parton relates his journey along the path of Christian Evangelicalism to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (not to be confused with the ELCA). What he finds there and why it is important are presented with the thoughtfulness of an attorney and the humility of a man of faith. There is wonder, awe and clarity in his writing, all rare and refreshing. Mr. Parton does not demean the practioners of other denominations but points to the strengths of the LCMS and how it has reinforced his faith and his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Any Christian searching for direction will benefit by reading this book.
Refreshing Look at the State of American Christianity.......2003-07-24
Parton is well informed Christian who has journeyed from a staffer on Campus Crusade to Lutheranism, and is now utterly amazed and upset that he finds much of Lutheranism trying to imitate Evangelicalism.
This book documents that journey as well as puts forward Christian apologetics which is so needed in our pluralistic and postmodern times. I found the separation into tough-minded and tender-minded apologetical approaches helpful and insightful. The Christian Church certainly needs to reclaim and make full use of the arts which God has so graciously bestowed upon it, and recently have been abandoned or culturalized popularly in the church. Parton correctly sizes up the substance vs. style debate.
Also included is an excellent Addendum on Historic Liturgy as well as an excellent annotated bibliography for further study and extensive endnotes.
To be widely read.
Book Description
Written for the general consumer, this book is a comprehensive synopsis at every phase of a drunk driving case, from the initial police stop through trial, with powerful insight into secret tactics used by law enforcement officers and prosecutors, and effective ways to avoid a conviction.
Customer Reviews:
Winning Ways.......2002-02-11
"Drunk Driving Defense: How to Beat the Rap" is a classic. The book is written for laypersons, such as myself, so it is easy to read and understand. Learn everything there is to know about a drunk driving offense--how to prevent an arrest, what to do when you are stopped by the police, what to do when arrested, and how to present a solid defense to avoid a conviction.
One very important topic was the substance abuse evaluation: What its all about and how to avoid being classified as a drunk. This alone can save you thousands of dollars in unnecessary substance abuse treatment.
Do yourself a favor, buy this book and read it TODAY. The public must be knowledgeable about drunk driving offenses, and this book is the best place to start.
Winning Ways.......2002-02-11
"Drunk Driving Defense: How to Beat the Rap" is a classic. The book is written for laypersons, such as myself, so it is easy to read and understand. Learn everything there is to know about a drunk driving offense--how to prevent an arrest, what to do when you are stopped by the police, what to do when arrested, and how to present a solid defense to avoid a conviction.
One very important topic was the substance abuse evaluation: What its all about and how to avoid being classified as a drunk. This alone can save you thousands of dollars in unnecessary substance abuse treatment.
Do yourself a favor, buy this book and read it TODAY. The public must be knowledgeable about drunk driving offenses, and this book is the best place to start.
The Title Says It All.......2002-02-10
No one has ever written such a thoroughly comprehensive book for the average person. "Beat the Rap" takes a person step-by-step through the entire process from the police stop through a drunk driving trial. Everything in-between explains in plain and simple language the many ways to "Beat the Rap". I have spoken to several people who used the book, and they were able to educate their lawyer about the subject. Everyone should own this book as preventive medicine. I purchased numerous copies and gave them as Christmas gifts. In today's MADD Mother society, everyone needs to be prepared for the worst, and this book will give you the sense of security we all need. The author is an attorney specializing in drunk driving defense, so he knows the subject inside-out.
Amazon.com
The title of criminal defense lawyer Roy Black's first book alludes to the renowned legal dictionary, and the reference is appropriate: Black is beyond a reasonable doubt the definitive defense attorney. Considered among the best advocates for the accused in the United States, he has had clients that included William Kennedy Smith and Marv Albert. But in Black's Law, the former public defender and law professor recounts the strategies and tactics he employed to safeguard the freedom of four lesser-known clients: Luis Alvarez, Thomas Knight, Steve Hicks, and Fred De La Mata.
In "Alvarez" (Black refers to each of his four examples by case name), a Miami cop is put on trial for shooting an African American suspect with no previous criminal record, pitting Black against the office of Dade County state attorney Janet Reno, who desperately needed a conviction to avert widespread race riots. In "Knight," Black must convince a federal appeals court that an insane multiple killer was condemned to death row by the bad lawyering of his first four attorneys. In "Hicks," a young bartender finds himself charged with murder after his girlfriend dies of an accidental gunshot wound; Black defends him against incriminating circumstantial evidence and the cluster-bungling efforts of police investigators. And in "De La Mata," Black takes a break from the murder trials to work on a money-laundering case.
The aforementioned Black's Law Dictionary defines a defense attorney as "a [l]awyer who files appearance in behalf of defendant and represents such in civil or criminal case," but Roy Black's account underscores how such technical definitions fail to convey the essential role defense attorneys play in our adversarial system of justice. Black's Law is not just about four individual defendants, it's about the rights to which all defendants are entitled--and for which people like Roy Black fight--in a court of law. --Tim Hogan
Book Description
Roy Black is one of America's toughest and shrewdest criminal defense lawyers. Whether defending a wealthy celebrity or an indigent death row inmate, Black sees his job as doing whatever it takes to get his clients fair trials. In Black's Law, he takes us behind the scenes of four difficult and dangerous cases to reveal the legal strategies, no-holds-barred tactics and courtroom psychology he used to make sure his clients received every protection promised by the law.
Black's cases illustrate the life-and-death struggles that occur every day in our criminal courts. In Alvarez, Black has to convince a jury to put aside poisonous pre-trial publicity, the threat of a race riot and almost universal pressure for a conviction in order to keep a young Hispanic police officer out of jail for killing a young black hoodlum in the line of duty. In Knight, Black must contend with issues of class and race as he wages a four-year struggle to persuade federal appeals court judges to overturn the death sentence imposed on an insane, brutal killer because of the incompetence of his first lawyers. In Hicks, Black has to prove the innocence of a client who is his own worst enemy by convincing a jury that the police conducted a sloppy murder investigation. And in De La Mata, Black must persuade jurors to disregard the damaging testimony of admitted drug dealers who have plea-bargained for lesser sentences in order to save a former bank president caught in the crosshairs of a federal prosecutor waging his own relentless war on drugs.
At a time when the public and its elected officials are giving prosecutors and judges more power to put criminals behind bars, defense lawyers are often seen as being on the side of the bad guys. But Roy Black believes that when we chip away at the rights of the accused, we diminish our own rights as well. In our adversarial system, all too often the only person standing between a defendant and jail -- or the death penalty -- is the criminal defense lawyer.
In these accounts, Black demonstrates in riveting detail how a defense attorney must investigate criminal cases by sifting through evidence and preparing for trial. (It's like preparing for a war.) He shows us how the principles of law, cross-examination and evidence -- as well as careful jury selection and skillful use of expert witnesses -- can level the playing field to counter the enormous resources that state and federal prosecutors have at their disposal.
Black's Law reveals what really goes on in our criminal courts and makes resoundingly clear the crucial role that criminal defense lawyers play in safeguarding the basic right to a fair trial for all.
Customer Reviews:
Black's Law: A clinic on strategies and tactics. .......2007-09-05
Roy Black once said, "The kind of cases I handle are the ones people can't afford to lose." On the eve of yet another notorious public figure facing penitentiary chances, Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis made the call, "Get me Roy Black." And why not? Mr. Black has attained legendary status as one of the top legal minds in the country. From his days battling in the PD's office in Miami to his rise as Miami's `super lawyer' , Black's deft handling of the media makes for a formidable one-two punch when you combine his PR skills with his presence in the courtroom. Francis knows he's in for the fight of his life. The government has tattooed crosshairs on his back for the last ten years, and he knows he's facing the end of his rope. Who wouldn't hire Black?
This book encapsulates all that is Roy Black. Delivering gut-wrenching stories of trench warfare, he said, "My cases are World War III to me. I don't take prisoners when I go to trial." Attorneys make their living through words. And this book is a testament to that. Written for the everyday man, the style of writing is brief, easy to read, and compelling. It's as if Black is masterfully telling his stories to a jury. And once again, he wins them over. Highly recommended.
Black's Law Is An Eye Opener.......2005-10-26
Do you sometimes wonder why anyone could possibly want to defend the scum, the losers, the obviusly-guilty-because-the newspapers-said-so? Well, if you think that way you will find a very good answer in this book. Roy Black describes four different cases which seemed impossible to defend, yet he did and did it well. He lets you in on what it's like to be on the defense side of the aisle. His writing style is smooth and flowing and each of the cases was so interesting I found it hard to put the book down. For me this was one of those books you can't help but read fast because it's fascinating, yet want to read slow so it lasts longer. For any True Crime genre fan, this is a MUST read.
Excellent Step by Step Understanding of Casework.......2005-01-21
I really enjoyed "Black's Law." He tells four different seemingly story-like narratives about four different cases. He discusses in detail every aspect of trying a case from research to voire dire. If you are interested in either legal strategy or just in a good story, you should read this book.
Legal Education for all.......2004-01-18
A great book. Written by a expert in communication. Each case brought you into the defense, you believe in the actions brought forward to give not only a legal defense by our constitution but to see a inocent person never is incarcerated,if that ever comes to pass. I would hope Mr. Black will write more, he is able to take a very complicated subject and break it down to a laymans understanding.
Gripping real life drama & civics lesson rolled into one.......2002-09-17
I found this non-fiction book to be as captivating a read - and frankly, much better written - than many of the fictional legal thrillers and courtroom dramas filling the bookstore shelves these days. Add to that the fact that this book offers great insight into our criminal justice system and the import role of the criminal defense attorney in it, and you have a book that is, in my opinion, a must-read.
All that being said, I think that perhaps what impressed me most about this book is what is not in it - celebrity name dropping. Black is clearly set apart from some of his colleagues in the high profile defense lawyer set by his choices of cases to include in this book. Having represented a number of "household names" in cases which received considerable media attention, Black writes in his book about none of them, choosing instead cases in which he represented people outside of the public eye and who came from a variety of walks of life. He should be commended for this and his book is rendered all the more impactful by the lack of the "tabloid" element.
Average customer rating:
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The Criminal Lawyer's Guide to Immigration Law, Second Edition: Questions and Answers
Robert McWhirter
Manufacturer: American Bar Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Constitutional Law
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Emigration & Immigration
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Emigration & Immigration
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ASIN: 1590316029 |
Book Description
This concise guide focuses on the criminal lawyer's most common questions about immigration law and representing noncitizens, from Who exactly is an alien? to Are removal hearings conducted like criminal proceedings?
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In the Name of the Law: Confessions of a Trial Lawyer
Thomas P. Puccio , and
Dan Collins
Manufacturer: W W Norton & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Lawyers & Judges
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Civil Procedure
| Procedures & Litigation
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ASIN: 0393037282 |
Book Description
In this book the author describes the battles--both inside and outside the courtroom--that have made him one of the world's most courageous defenders of personal freedoms.
Customer Reviews:
Essential reading for young lawyers and law students.......2003-09-03
As I read this book, I found myself saying "this is why I went to law school" again and again. As an example of what someone can do with a law degree and a conscience, no one surpasses Michael Tigar. Young lawyers should read this for inspiration. Law students should read this to remind themselves why sitting through four hours of Contracts or Evidence or Federal Courts matters. Activists should read this to relish the victories and learn new approaches. Anyone who has ever watched The Practice or Law & Order should read this to understand what criminal defense lawyers really do.
Fighting the good fight.......2003-08-28
A vivid and engaging glimpse into the highstakes game of constitutional law. What's at issue is whether there will be any control at all over police and prosecutors in the USA. The cases and issues frame the world we in the USA will all have to live in, and it would be a far better one were Tigar's side to win. In the voice of an experienced (and winning) storyteller, Tigar takes the reader through the strategies, gambles and often humorous surprises of his stellar career of high profile cases. I'm a musician, not a lawyer (though I know some of the people Tigar mentions), and was never at a loss due to technical language left unexplained. A great book.
Product Description
Biography of famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow.
Customer Reviews:
Great book........2007-06-03
I thought this author's interesting style was better than the other biographies on Darrow in the library.
When Darrow found that the McNamaras were responsible for destroying bridges: "He felt like a man with a rumbling volcano in his pocket, trying to hold back the eruption with his naked hand." (p. 278)
Does this quote sound odd to anyone else?
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- Devotions For Dating Couples: Building A Foundation For Spiritual Intimacy
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- Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste
- Flags of Our Fathers
- Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth
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