What happens when public prosecutors, the most powerful officials in the criminal justice system, seek convictions instead of justice? Why are cases involving well-to-do victims often prosecuted more vigorously than those involving poor victims? Why do wealthy defendants frequently enjoy more lenient plea bargains than the disadvantaged? In this eye-opening work, Angela J. Davis shines a much-needed light on the power of American prosecutors, revealing how the day-to-day practice of even the most well-intentioned prosecutors can result in unequal treatment of defendants and victims. Ranging from mandatory minimum sentencing laws that enhance prosecutorial control over the outcome of cases, to the increasing politicization of the office, Davis uses powerful stories of individuals caught in the system to demonstrate how the perfectly legal exercise of prosecutorial discretion can result in gross inequities in criminal justice. For the paperback edition, Davis provides a new Afterword which covers such recent incidents of prosecutorial abuse as the Jena Six case, the Duke lacrosse case, the Department of Justice firings, and more.
Haha. Wow, look at those other reviews that attatcked the book. They were both by prosecutors. Geez. Just because The book is about prosecutor misconduct(something that obviously does happen from time to time)that doesn't mean that you have to be a child and take the whole book as a personal attatck against you because you happen to be in the same profession. I don't care if you've never seen such cases in the criminal justice system, abuse of power by prosecutors does happen, I'm not saying all the frikin time, but yes just like every other field in life, there are a few bad apples. Don't be a baby.
Excellent book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
Dr. Davis has done more than most in demonstrating the problematic nature of our political system. Here she does it again and reminds us why prison/criminal justice reform is an issues whose time has come.
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