Posted by Orin Kerr:
Perhaps the Most Riveting First Chapter I Have Ever Read:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_05_24-2009_05_30.shtml#1243536446
I have just finished reading the first chapter of my GW colleague
[1]Paul Butler's new book, [2]Let's Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of
Justice.
Wow!!! In the first chapter, Paul details a truly incredible story
that he has never publicly told: That when he was a federal prosecutor
at the Justice Department, in the Public Integrity Section as part of
the DOJ Honors program, he himself was arrested, charged, and went to
trial for simple assault in DC Superior Court thanks to a vindictive
and mentally unstable neighbor and a DC cop who took the stand and
lied about what he saw. Fortunately, Paul was acquitted by the jury
after about 5 minutes: The government's theory of the case completely
fell apart at trial. But Paul's retelling of the story -- and his
reflections on why he was arrested and why he was able to mount a
successful defense -- make for truly riveting reading.
In the part of the book I haven't read yet, Paul then uses that
story as a launching point to discuss his views of race in the
criminal justice system, jury nullification, and the war on drugs. But
for now I just wanted to flag that remarkable first chapter: it really
should be required reading for law students interested in the criminal
justice system.
References
1. http://www.law.gwu.edu/Faculty/profile.aspx?id=1723
2. http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Get-Free-Hip-Hop-Justice/dp/1595583297
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