Legal Reviews

Welcome to Hell: Letters & Writings from Death Row (Criminal Justice)

Published in Hardcover by Northeastern University Press (1997-05)

Author:

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Very powerful book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-06

This is a very powerful book because it is a collection of letters written by those on death row. I first saw it in the gift shop on Alcatraz Island. I still think about it many years after reading it. Some books are entertainment or just plain noise. Some books change how you think and see the world. This is one of those.

An Excellent book that Everyone should read!

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 1997-07-20

This is an excellent book for everyone who has any interest in the Death Penalty. The letters in the book will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you scream! This book is compiled in such a beautiful way that it makes you appreciate that although some of these people may have committed horrible crimes, they are still human, and still have feelings. I have had the pleasure and honor of writing to one of the inmates profiled in this book, and it has been an experience I will never forget

I learned a lot from this book

Helpful Votes: 20 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 1998-03-10

I am 16 years old and I think this book was one of the best books I have ever read.I don't read very much but I read this book in about 3 hours. It tells you the truth about being on death row. And has changed my mind about the death penalty. I am going to recommend this book to everyone I know.

A powerful & startling insight into society's inhumanity.

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 1997-06-14

This is the nearest you will ever be to the lowest echelons of hell - read "Welcome to Hell" and weep for the discarded and unwanted members of our throw away society. This is Death Row's own voice - the voice of men who have been shunned and abandoned, sometimes by their own families, whose lives are deemed to be worthless and yet who show through these writing that they retain their essential humanity and still have much to offer

When Your Child Has a Disability : The Complete Sourcebook of Daily and Medical Care, Revised Edition

Published in Paperback by Brookes Publishing Company (2000-12)

Author:

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Average review score:

college text

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-25

This book is very informational. Dr. Batshaw explains disabilities from begginning to end in clear language. I used it for almost every paper I hve written for my disabilities class. Good for citing quotes.

The Complete Handbook for Parents of Special Kids

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-21

"When Your Child Has a Disability" is the complete handbook needed for every parent with a disabled child.The book provides assurance to parents that they are not alone,while giving answers to commonly asked questions.The information provided enables parents to act as the child's advocate without fear.The book is easily understood and gives advice without frightening parents that they may not have the power or education necessary to fight for the child's well-being.Every parent of a disabled child should have this book as a reference.

Comprehensive and authoritative.

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-31

If you are the parent of a child who has multiple special needs or are looking for a scholarly and readable introduction to children's disabilities, then When Your Child Has a Disability is a "must read" resource. Relevant and reliable, it is the most comprehensive overview for parents of special needs children that has been published to date.

A well rounded resource like this has been needed for parents for a long time, and Dr. Batshaw has done an remarkable job at fulfilling this need. Crucial topics are covered which are rarely addressed adequately, but are vital to children with special needs - for example, feeding, visual impairment, teeth and dental care.

As moderator of mailing lists on Adoption (from Vietnam) and Prematurity, it is rare that I can recommend a book for both groups, but this is one that meets the needs of many parents.

When Your Child Has a Disability covers four major areas - Getting the Diagnosis, Growing Up with a Disability, Developmental Disabilities, and a brief section called What the Future Holds. Each chapter in these sections is authored by an experienced practitioner in the field. They provide an concise overview for each subject, an explanation of the terminology, and a number of practical suggestions for your child.

The section on Growing Up with a Disability covers topics vital to parents of children with special needs, such as nutrition and feeding, dental care, and encouraging appropriate behavior. Specific disabilities are covered in the Developmental Disability section, including many disabilities linked to prematurity. Twelve developmental disabilities are addressed - cerebral palsy, hearing loss, autism, mental retardation, visual impairment, communication disorders, learning disorders, down syndrome, genetic syndromes, spina bifida, and epilepsy.

For parents of children who have special needs (or are "at risk" for developmental disabilities), When Your Child Has a Disability is invaluable. . No other book comes close for educated, practical coverage of developmental disabilities, and accompanying special needs, in children.

When Your Child Has A Disability, Revised Edition

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2001-07-05

As a parent of a child with a disability, I found in this book some of the best information and advice that I have read on the subject of children with disabilities. While some chapters deal with specific disabilities, others provide more general valuable information for all parents of children with disabilities (e.g. how to deal with emotions, managing the relationships with medical professionals, the education process, legal rights and how to care for your child throughout his/her lifetime).

The book provides sound expert advice to all parents of a child with a disability - from choosing and visiting doctors to communicating with and feeding your child to dealing with common and not-so-common medical problems to understanding legal and educational rights and benefits. That advice will help parents to appropriately act on behalf of the child. While providing critical information on caring for your child, the authors let parents know that the parents are in charge because nobody knows our children better. The knowlegde from this book will empower parents to do what they believe is in the best interest of the child.

This book is a signifcant resource and a "must read" for any parent of a child with a disability. I suggest not only reading the book, but also keeping it close as a valuable reference tool.

With These Hands: The Hidden World of Migrant Farmworkers Today

Published in Hardcover by Harcourt (1998-09-15)

Author: Daniel Rothenberg

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I couldn't put this book down

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-21

I'm not sure how I even came across this book but what a wonderful find. This book illustrates the complex relationship among the farmworkers, growers, contractors, unionists, advocates, lobbyists, etc. It was extremely well written and readable, alternating between background information/statistics and first person narratives. I also liked the photographs (which were not of the same people who spoke in the book) but would have liked informative captions to go along with them. I am astounded by the enormity of this industry and the agricultural power of the USA. I would certainly pay more for my produce if it would help improve the farmworkers' situation (although the book clearly states that consumer price has little to do with these conditions). I can no longer look at fruits and vegetables the same way.

This is a fine, very readable book about migrant farmworkers

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-30

With These Hands is an excellent book that contains oral histories -- astonishing interviews -- with farmworkers, growers, labor contractors, government officials and labor union officials. These statements are interspersed with excellent but brief summaries of various issues. The full range of the complexity of farmworkers' lives is explored, from wages and benefits to the structure of the farm labor market to the international consequences of agricultural labor practices. As a lawyer for migrant farmworkers, I'm all for books about them but have been disappointed by a lot of what has been written. This book does not disappoint.

Positve depiction on the contents of the book.

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-06

Read This Book! The book With These Hands, is a very accurate depiction of migrant farmworks today. The author, Daniel Rothenberg, is an anthropologist that spent three years living among workers and getting to know the people who work in the labor camps. He compiled more than 250 interviews to try and gain insight on the numerous hardships that these people face. Many people only hear about migrant workers who get into run-ins with the law, therefore giving these people a stereotypical view of how many of these migrants actually are, and what they go through to make such horrible wages. Every aspect of these farmworkers lives are explored, from wages to the farm labor market to consequences of labor practices. This book is really a reality check to people because of how much these workers have an affect on our lives. People don't stop to think about how all of their fruit products are gathered and how the workers are treated for doing such back breaking work. This book differs from many others that have been written on this same topic because it covers all different angles of migrant farmwork for yesterday and today. A definite two thumbs up!

Everyone who eats should read this book.

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 1999-01-22

"The Poorest of the Invisible Working Poor" could be an alternate title for Daniel Rothenberg's "With These Hands." Most of us know migrant farm workers only when one of them breaks the law and get written up in the newspaper. However, just about every piece of produce we routinely select at the supermarket has passed through their hands. I particularly liked the format of Rothenberg's book, alternating factual explanation with monologues by those involved in farm labor. I appreciated the wide variety of viewpoints exposed, not just those of migrant workers, but also of contractors, farmer employers, government officials and labor organizers. Most migrant farmworkers are Hispanic, many of them in this country legally, and some are U.S. citizens from years back. Many others, out of economic desperation, risk their lives sneaking across the U.S./Mexican border to find honest work doing the most backbreaking labor, under the most inhumane living conditions, for the most miserable wages. Their sheer numbers help keep farmworker wages low, but the power of the agricultural lobby has helped maintain the dismal conditions of farm labor since the Depression. Everyone who eats should read this book. Every politician should read it twice.

Witness for the Defense

Published in Paperback by Onyx (1998-12-01)

Author: Michael C. Eberhardt

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Average review score:

Coolest Novel

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-02

This was the first novel that I ever read in my life and I thought this was the best one, I have tryed to read others but they just don't have the same impact as this one. If any one thinks about reading this novel, DO IT. It will be the best you ever read....

Very good

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-03-13

A fast-paced, easy read, this is a very good legal thriller. It's certainly better than the wooden prose of Mr. Grisham.

exquisite

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-02-05

Exquisitely, brilliantly written. I would prefer Eberhardt to Grisham. Eberhardt starts the novel with two incidents. they get inextricably intertwined with each other. I wish I could write just this well. But one thing, Obviously passion didn't give birth to this book. This one is more like a Hollywood action block-buster.

Big E sits on the court with the best legal thriller writers

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 1998-10-10

For almost a decade, public defender Hunter Dobbs has worked in the San Francisco legal system. However, today going about his job is a bit difficult because his divorce was just finalized yesterday. Even as he knows he must focus on the Martinez murder case, Hunter continues to dwell on what went wrong in his relationship with his former spouse, Marlene. The day gets worse when Hunter struggles with a slightly tipsy judge and dealing with Bobby Miles, a so-called witness willing to lie under oath.

However, his day turns worse when the dedicated attorney is accused of suborning perjury. Bobby claims that Hunter tried to coerce him into lying in court. The California Bar is looking into the charges. A peer Sarah Harris offers to represent him with the bar if he will defend a friend accused of kidnapping. He accepts her offer, but neither one expected to be involved in a murder that will require their intercession to insure that a second killing does not occur.

Michael C. Eberhardt clearly sits on the highest bench of legal thrillers with peers such as Turow, Patterson, and Grisham. His novels are always personal and thrilling. Mr. Eberhardt's latest book, WITNESS FOR THE DEFENSE, needs no defense as the awesome author of such classy tales as BODY OF A CRIME and AGAINST THE LAW has provided a great story. The gut attack on Hunter's belief system is brilliantly developed, making all the characters and their motives seem so real. There is no appeal for any sub-genre fan who has failed to read Mr. Eberhardt from being sentenced to a lifetime of solitary confinement on the Rock.

Harriet Klausner

Women at Law: Lessons Learned Along the Pathways to Success

Published in Paperback by American Bar Association (2004-01-25)

Author: Phyllis Horn Epstein

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Average review score:

women at law

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-19

essential book for all those going into the law or who are interested in womens issues. informative,humurous, and helpful. full range of interviews gives insights about different lifestyles in being a lawyer. this book should be read by all professional women who also wish to maintain a family life or those who wish to take a different path. well done!

A must-read book.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-18

In Women-at-Law: Lessons Learned Along the Pathways to Success, Phyllis Horn Epstein shows that it is possible to balance a successful career in law with a fulfilling family life. This book is a must-read for all aspiring female lawyers, and all college students, male or female who are going to face balancing career and family after college. Women-at-Law would make a great addition to anyones Holiday Shopping List, perfect for the teenagers and 20-somethings who are just starting out.

Women At Law Book Review

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-03

Any woman who has ever questioned what kind of life she might have as a law-yer will find the answer in Women-at-Law: Lessons Learned Along the Pathways to Success. In her book, Phyllis Horn Epstein smoothly interweaves history, ca-reer information, and personal anecdotes for a broad overview of the profession, emphasizing the female lawyer's point of view.

The author is a tax attorney and partner in a small law firm and has been in prac-tice for 25 years. She has spent many of those years learning to balance that ca-reer with her roles as wife and parent. Her writing flows easily, with precise phrasing and exacting references. The use of humor in the midst of otherwise serious material balances the composition.

Those readers with little knowledge of the legal field - beyond the media stereo-types - will be amazed to learn the variety of opportunities to be found in it. Con-tributing their brief biographies are women who are self employed, or part of a corporate structure, those who work in the private as well as the public sector. There are examples of women who have used a law degree to start a business or become a part of someone else's business. Some describe choosing to de-vote their entire life and being to their vocation, while others find satisfying ave-nues of the law that will allow a fulfilling combination with family life.

Women-at-Law strives to reassure the doubter that a career in the law can be compatible with being a wife and mother. We learn from the mini biographies that it wasn't always so, that it is still not an easy path, but no more daunting than many other professional careers.

Although the book does not deal with careers of women in other professions, the parallels are obvious. One can easily substitute "women professionals" for "women lawyers" in citing both the gains and struggles of women in the work-force. There are many common experiences to share.

Women-at-Law succeeds because it gives such a personal account of the lives of many women. Quotations from the author's extensive interviews are sprinkled throughout to reveal the very down-to-earth women behind the powerful titles. We see that they identify success, not in terms of money and fame, but the ability to be devoted to their work while retaining individuality as women, and as wives and mothers if they wish.

One is especially drawn to the author's references to her own life. She obviously made the right career choice for herself. She clearly knows who she is, what her work is about, and is proud to be a lawyer. But she does not sugarcoat the chal-lenges or eliminate the stumbling blocks along the path. Her devotion is evident in these revelations of her lifestyle, as she strives to make the right decisions and compromises for herself as a wife, mother, and lawyer.

Page 2

In her book, Epstein reaches out to women who are considering a career in law, young women planning their futures or those making a career change later in life.
She entices those who are drawn to intellectual challenge, social consciousness, and personal fulfillment. Read it to learn what it means to be a lawyer. It may be the decision maker for a woman considering this career.

A wonderful history of women attorneys - and an excellent resource for women practicing law today!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-11

As a female lawyer from the author's generation, I am embarassed to say that much of the history in this fine book was new to me. Any woman attorney would benefit by reading the remarkable history of women-at-law, but author Phyllis Horn Epstein (the first woman attorney hired by Holland & Knight) goes far beyond history by examining what it is to be a female attorney today, including the "glass ceilings," special concerns of minority lawyers, and the importance of mentoring and being mentored. Any woman currently practicing law will empathize with all the vignettes from others who are trying to juggle professional responsibilities and family life. The book is full of facts and figures, but enlivened by the stories of real women in their own words. What a great gift this book would be to any female lawyer, but most especially to any young woman considering a career in law - the book is both cautionary and inspiring. We may have come a long way, baby, but there's a long way yet to go.

Women's Liberation and the Line of March of the Working Class (Women's Liberation & the Line of March of the Working Class)

Published in Paperback by Pathfinder Press (NY) (1999-09)

Author:

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Average review score:

how to do it, not just talk

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-29

These documents are interesting in that they are not 'about' the women's liberation. Rather they are 'of' the women's liberation document, not from a women's group but from the Socialist Workers party. They center on what the party, the working class, and fighting women should DO to fight for women's liberation, how a revolutionary organization of workers should organize it self to fight for the goals of the movement, and to deal with new questions the movement has posed to the organization. We have several decades of documents in the series that begins with this volume. They belong on the shelves of every serious fighter for women's liberation and every serious fighter for the rights of working people.

I also recommend Women's Evolution, Revolutionary Dynamics of the Women's Liberation Movement, Abortion is a Woman's Right, Cuba and the Coming American Revolution, Marianas in Combat

how to do it, not just talk

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-29

These documents are interesting in that they are not 'about' the women's liberation. Rather they are 'of' the women's liberation document, not from a women's group but from the Socialist Workers party. They center on what the party, the working class, and fighting women should DO to fight for women's liberation, how a revolutionary organization of workers should organize it self to fight for the goals of the movement, and to deal with new questions the movement has posed to the organization. We have several decades of documents in the series that begins with this volume. They belong on the shelves of every serious fighter for women's liberation and every serious fighter for the rights of working people.

I also recommend Women's Evolution, Revolutionary Dynamics of the Women's Liberation Movement, Abortion is a Woman's Right, Cuba and the Coming American Revolution, Marianas in Combat

Accomplishments and lessons of 1970s women�s movements

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-05

This is exciting and thought-provoking material! Published in an inexpensive format, this bulletin brings together a number of reports and resolutions on women's oppression and the fight for women's liberation adopted by the Socialist Workers Party in the late 1970s.

These articles document the deep social changes that made possible the rise of mass women's movements in the 1960s and 1970s. They survey developments in many countries around the world, from the most developed capitalist powers, though neo-colonial and third world nations, to the countries of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. They record the impressive history of gains won, and the many challenges still to be met.

I particularly like the spirit of accomplishment and determination to really set society on a new footing that comes through these documents. They reflect the confidence coming out of years of participation in mass protest movements, and the reality of winning changes in women's place in modern society. There is rich material on the theoretical and political debate over the origins of women's oppression, its connection to class society, on norms and standards of conduct among revolutionaries, and the long-term perspective for building a new society free from oppression and exploitation.

I'd also recommend reading the Marxist classic The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, by Frederick Engels; Problems of Women's Liberation and Is Biology Women's Destiny? by Evelyn Reed; Women and the Cuban Revolution, edited by Betsy Stone; and The Changing face of U.S. Politics: Working-Class Politics and the Trade Unions, by Jack Barnes.

documents of struggle for future battles

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-04

Some day these documents will be reviewed and studied as important to the history of the world struggle for freedom, the struggle of working people, oppressed people, women for socialism. These are the document which the Socialist Workers Party with considerable input from young fighters in the Young Socialist Alliance, and fighters from sister organizations all over the world, charted its response, analysis, strategy and tactics for the women's liberation. This is to say this is the most important attempt by fighting workers, students, and youth, as marxists and fighters for women's rights to develop an analysis of the women's movement. This is not an analysis to be read in a book or spouted in a lecture, but a analysis written by and for women and men who were fighting the sharpest battles fo the women's movement inthe 1970s, for abortion rights, for the equal rights amendment, for the right of women to enter industrial and technical jobs, and facing the question of political capitalist and working class. These documents are a call to battle. Read them and join the struggles of socialist workers, of women, and men, fights that will add to the richnest of this document of struggle.

Working With Contracts: What Law School Doesn't Teach You (Pli Press's Corporate and Securities Law Library)

Published in Paperback by Practising Law Institute (2002-05-26)

Author: Charles M. Fox

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Average review score:

Excellent Resource - Esp. for Litigators Transitioning to Transactional Practice

Helpful Votes: 19 out of 19 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-18

I have been litigating on behalf of clients for the past 4 years. For the most part, I see the pitfalls, head aches and problems recognized long after the parties celebrated signing a new deal. Then a client came to me with a request-- he asked me to help negotiate his contract keeping an eye on the issues with litigation potential. (Quite a refreshing request I might add) Shifting gears, I had to brush up on current contract drafting practices and strategy. This book provided an excellent resource as to structure, potential interpretations, expectations, timing of the exchange of drafts.... well written, many areas covered quickly, not labored or too vague. I recommend this book along with Tina Stark's Negotiating Contract Boilerplate for practical contract drafting and review information. And if Charles Fox writes another book - I'd love a copy! Thanks!

Absolutely Fantastic

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-17

My only regret is not reading this book earlier in my career. For all first years and law students, it is a must read. If you are a transactional attorney, this book is a great resource.

Charles Fox deserves an award for creating a road map for junior associates.

Excellent book for junior lawyers

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-01

This book contains very useful information for junior corporate lawyers (and some helpful things for a more senior lawyer like me).

Great book for the new lawyer on contracts drafting and negotiating

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-03

I am a new attorney who just started practicing as a transactional lawyer. I ordered 14 books on this subject. There is no other book that summarized the contracts writing process and the relevant set of legal skills that help in it like this book.
I learned how to darft contracts by doing it while working for a large software company in Seattle. Since I became an attorney, the process became even more interesting (I had many reference points) as I now have the legal skills to add. This helped me combine the hands-on knowledge with the legal theories I learned in school to improve my drafting skills.
The language used is so readable; analogies are thought provoking; techniques explained are useful; and review and interpretation guides are invaluable. Great resource for a new lawyer!

Wrongly Convicted: Perspective on Failed Justice

Published in Hardcover by Rutgers University Press (2001-09)

Author:

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Average review score:

A must-read for anyone interested in the American justice system or death penalty

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-18

This book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the American criminal justice system and the death penalty. Rather than a morally based diatribe against the death penalty, it is a skillfully written critique of the death penalty as a public policy and how the institutions of justice are structured in such a way that mistakes can be made, have been made, but are extremely difficult to correct. In death penalty cases, the mistake can be permanent. Even if you are a die-hard supporter of the death penalty, it is your responsibility and duty as a member of society to at least be aware of sources of misapplication of justice and sources of error to make sure the fundamentals of justice are applied accurately and fairly. This book will help you do that. I used it for undergraduate classes and most students spoke very highly of it and talked about how it opened their eyes to issues they never thought about or were aware of. Well worth reading.

Wrongly Convicted: Perspectives on Failed Justice by Saundra D. Westervelt

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-12

Bought for a class in college. Book arrived in a timely manner. Better than expected condition. Would buy from this seller again.

Shocking, Shocking

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-28

Due to destructive motives such as the desire of a prosecutor to win a case at any cost, desire of the public for revenge and desire of the police to close a case with any likely candidate, many innocent persons are convicted of crimes in which they have no connection whatsoever.

It is worse to convict an innocent person than it is to let a guilty person go free. However, our system, and many people serving on juries act as if it is worse to let a guilty person go free than it is to convict an innocent person.

It is impossible to understand why juries convict persons who might possibly be innocent. If the juror could stand in the shoes of an innocent person being wrongly convicted, how could that juror ever let this happen.

Superb book, a must-read tour de force

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-02

This is a simply-superb collection of essays/articles on the topic of what can lead to the criminal conviction, and even execution, of suspects who turn out to be, in fact, innocent of the crime they were arrested for.
The points made and facts shown in this book should be part of a mandatory curriculum in high school, especially in view of the media onslaught of incorrect ideas of the criminal process. Most TV dramas reinforce the false "Perry Mason" idea that a successful defense attorney must not only show the prosecution has not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, but ALSO must come up with the truly guilty person, who will confess on the witness stand. Broadcast and print journalists insist on saying the defendant pled or was found "innocent," when the correct term is "not guilty." (There's a world of difference between "innocent" which means morally blameless, and "not guilty" which means putting the state to its burden of proof.) The "tough cop" who ignores the inconveniences of the Constitution is as much a hero in fiction, as the "slimy defense attorney" who defends the always-guilty defendant is a villain. All these might be entertaining, but they create a mindset among jurors who decide real-life guilt.
_Wrongly Convicted_ addresses the hard real-life questions of how things can go so wrong that an innocent person (one who had nothing to do with the crime) can wind up convicted and even executed.
Would an innocent suspect sign a confession? Yes; he's coerced into believing it's actually in his interest.
What characteristics of a crime most frequently create a rush to judgment with the conviction of an innocent person? A heinous crime, a marginalized or "outsider" suspect, and/or unreliable evidence.
How do prosecutors avoid their requirement of disclosing facts helpful to the defense (exculpatory evidence)?
Are informants reliable? Why not?
Can fingerprint and DNA evidence be faked? Has it?
What is the role of race?
What role does the disparity of resources available to the government and defense play in conviction of the innocent?
What changes can we make to prevent these convictions of the innocent?

Each essay is well-written. In books like this, the editor must steer a course between overly-scholarly and overly-popular writing. The editors have chosen a middle course. The writing is not so popular that it reads like People Magazine, yet the editors use text with multiple subheadings and just the right amount of quoted material, so that it's very readable. Each essay is followed by its notes and extensive references. There is an extensive Index covering the entire book. The book concludes at a very non-ponderous 280 pages of text.
My only wish is that, in addition to the current book, the editors and authors could produce a high school version, perhaps 40-50 pages of the main points and pertinent examples, suitable to inclusion in a social studies curriculum.

Year 2000 Computer Crisis: Law, Business, Technology

Published in Ring-bound by Glasser Legalworks (1998-12)

Authors: Warren S. Reid and Michael D. Scott

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Average review score:

Better get it fast...

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-06-08

Review from Legal Information ALERT, page 12, April 1999, Vol. 18, No. 4. Reviewed by Lisa Mecklenberg, Electronic Services Librarian, State Law Library of Montana, Helena, MT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The Year 2000 Computer Crisis: Law, Business, Technology. The Year 2000 is fast approaching. Will you and your computers be prepared? The authors of this timely book offer to help you answer that question by organizing their text in a logical, straightforward fashion. The book includes seven chapters, followed by a forms section, appendixes, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. The first chapter serves as an introduction to the technical issues involved in creating a Y2K plan, with subsequent chapters focusing on developing this plan, audits, the Y2K implementation process, contracts, Y2K litigation, and insurance. The fact that the intended audience is lawyers highlights one of its strengths. By focusing on the legal aspects of Y2K, Scott and Reid steer attorneys toward the production of appropriate contacts, warranties, remedies, and performance standards. They also suggest ways to protect directors, officers, and companies from lawsuits involving Y2K issues. To that end, the forms section is very good, featuring "Sample Year 2000 Compliance Agreements," a "Sample Complaint for Year 2000 Failures," and both hardware and software inventory forms. Chapter 5, on contracts, contains helpful advice on various Y2K agreements, including license agreements, supplier agreements, and Year 2000 consulting/remediation agreements. Scott and Reid also address the availability of insurance coverage for Y2K liability, as well as strategies, claims, and defenses that will be used by parties in Y2K litigation. Both authors have a significant amount of practical experience in this area -Scott has 20 years of experience representing a number of computer and software companies and Reid has served as a litigation strategist, an expert witness, and a special master in complex computer trial matters. Issued in looseleaf format, The Year 200 Computer Crisis permits periodic updates as new Y2K developments occur -it includes a December 1998 update that expands the book by more than 200 pages. A noteworthy feature is a series of checklists (i.e., awareness, assessment, implementation) to assist in the process of making a firm or business Y2K ready that are easy to follow and understand. The appendixes are also quiet useful, as several groups that have implemented the Y2K preparation procedures outlined in the book are profiled. These include "A Year 2000 Preliminary Analysis Report" prepared for the State of Rhode Island and a Technical Note from the Federal Reserve Board on "Testing Personal Computers for Year 2000 Compatibility." There is also a helpful list of Year 2000 web sites. For those looking for a "hands-on," planning-to-take-care-of-the-office-crisis-yourself guide to Y2K, this book may be frustrating, as it doesn't offer a nuts and bolts approach to making computers crisis-ready. For those, however, who would like a comprehensive overview of the Y2K phenomenon and guidelines on how to proceed with the handling of Y2K problems for clients, this book would be valuable. However, you better get it fast -many of the implementation procedures for addressing Y2K problems should already have been initiated. It is also highly recommended for law firms, which may actually have to litigate Y2K issues.

An enormously valuable tool to anyone assessing Y2K issues..

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-03

I was extremely impressed with the scope and quality of the book. Warren Reid is the most knowledgeable person I know with respect to the technical and practical business aspects of the Year 2000 problem and his willingness to share his extensive experience and practical wisdom makes this book an enormously valuable tool to anyone assessing Y2K issues. Mike Scott has already established himself as one of the world's leading authorities on computer-related legal issues. By drawing on his many years of experience with the computer and multimedia industries, Mike provides legal and practical insights into the Y2K legal issues that every lawyer involved in the Y2K maelstrom will find extremely helpful. ...Congratulations on publishing such a timely and useful work.

Entering the year 2000 is not going to be good for computers

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-12

I think when the year 2000 comes all tax payers are going to have to pay for the upage on the computers and I myself don't think that would be a good idea because they are going to raise a big arguement and lead to a bad fight against the upage on this Y2K deal. It will go before a grand jury and loose the battle, then people will be mad.

Entering the year 2000 is not going to be good for computers

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-12

I think when the year 2000 comes all tax payers are going to have to pay for the upage on the computers and I myself don't think that would be a good idea because they are going to raise a big arguement and lead to a bad fight against the upage on this Y2K deal. It will go before a grand jury and loose the battle, then people will be mad.

Yellow as Legal Pads

Published in Paperback by Doggie in the Window Publications (2004-12-15)

Author: Fran Stewart

List price: $15.00

New price: $8.95
Used price: $3.91

Average review score:

Good Suspense

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-09

Yellow as Legal Pads delivers good suspense. The writing is good and the characters well realized. The good people are likeable and the villains are truly villainous. What could be so lethal that it would knock out the man giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, as well as the victim? You'll be surprised at how easy it is to get this poison. Don't give this book to anyone who is angry at you:-)

The reason that this book gets a four instead of a five is that Biscuit disappeared for a large part of the story. I wanted it to be her story as well as the victim. In addition, an important unresolved issue remains unexplained. It needed an answer. To tell you what it is would spoil the story. The third item is the cover, which needs to be stronger.

Overall, though, you'll enjoy this book.

Another great novel from Fran Stewart

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-18

Fran Stewart has created a thoroughly endearing character in Biscuit McKee--fallible enough to be undeniably human and feisty enough to be thoroughly lovable. Biscuit wants nothing more than to live quietly in the small Georgia town of Martinsville with her husband and her Marmalade cat, but fate and family don't always cooperate. Biscuit faces each challenge life throws at her--and there are plenty of those--with determination and a little help from her cat.

Fran Stewart's Biscuit McKee stories are beautifully written, incorporating a blend of down-home wisdom and humor guaranteed to both charm and entertain.

--Lynda Fitzgerald, Author
If Truth Be Told

A Tantalizing Tale of Mystery, Intrigue, and Humanity

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-16

A wonderful story that reveals the unfolding of a number of likeable (and some detestable) complex characters and slowly interweaves their histories within the interesting Georgian town of Martinsville. This book will leave you enchanted, excited, teary-eyed, enraged, and satisfied, even providing practical advice on how to architect a clever murder ;-) Another one for the bookshelves of favorites...

Georgia Author of the Year

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-12

This is the title that won Ms. Stewart the title "Georgia Author of the Year" for Independent fiction. Don't be put off by the title. Ms. Stewart weaves a carefully crafted, intricate murder mystery of betrayal and mistaken identity here. And, unlike many "cat mysteries," this writer acknowledges that a cat is not a cute human in feline skin. Her cat is warm and loving in a most cat-like manner. Most impressive is her deft handling of what could be a very complicated chronology. She handles all with skill, and she'll keep you turning pages to the very last word. Give it a try if you love murder mysteries, cats, or seeing a writer at the top of her game.

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