Wilbert Rideau, an award-winning journalist who spentforty-four years in prison, delivers a remarkable memoir of crime,punishment, and ultimate triumph. After killing a bank teller in a moment of panic during a botchedrobbery, Wilbert Rideau was sentenced to death at the age ofnineteen. He spent several years on death row at Angola before hissentence was commuted to life, where, as editor of the prisonnewsmagazine The Angolite, he undertook a mission to expose andreformLouisiana's iniquitousjustice system from the inside. Vivid,incisive, and compassionate, this is a detailed account of prisonlife and a man who accepted responsibility for his actions andworked to redeem himself. It is a story about not giving up;finding love in unexpected places; the power of kindness; and theability to do good, no matter where you are.
In this amazing story of high stakes competition between twotitans, Richard Moran shows how the electric chair developed notout of the desire to be more humane but through an effort by onenineteenth-century electric company to discredit the other. In 1882, Thomas Edison ushered in the “age of electricity” whenhe illuminated Manhattan’s Pearl Street with his direct current(DC) system. Six years later, George Westinghouse lit up Buffalowith his less expensive alternating current (AC). The two menquickly became locked in a fierce rivalry, made all the morecomplicated by a novel new application for their product: theelectric chair. When Edison set out to persuade the state of NewYork to use Westinghouse’s current to execute condemned criminals,Westinghouse fought back in court, attempting to stop the firstelectrocution and keep AC from becoming the “executioner’scurrent.” In this meticulously researched account of the ensuinglegal battle and the horribly botched first execution, Moran r
Bestselling author James B. Stewart's newsbreakinginvestigation of our era's most high-profile perjurers, revealingthe alarming extent of this national epidemic. Our system of justice rests on a simple proposition: thatwitnesses will raise their hands and tell the truth. In TangledWebs, James B. Stewart reveals in vivid detail the consequences ofthe perjury epidemic that has swept our country, undermining thevery foundation of our courts. With many prosecutors, investigators, and participants speakingfor the first time, Tangled Webs goes behind the scene of thetrials of media and homemaking entrepreneur Martha Stewart; topWhite House political adviser Lewis "Scooter" Libby; home-run kingBarry Bonds; and Wall Street money manager Bernard Madoff. The saga of Martha Stewart's conviction captured the nation, butuntil now no one has answered the most basic question: Why wouldStewart risk prison, put her entire empire in jeopardy, and lierepeatedly to government investi
The Real ACT is the only book with insider test-taking tipsand strategy, practice tests, and insight from the makers of theACT. This comprehensive guide has everything one needs to knowabout the ACT-test content, structure, and format info! The only guide that includes 5 previously administered,full-length ACT tests written by the actual test maker (including 2NEW practice tests) ACT content and procedures you'll follow when actually taking thetest Valuable information about tuition payment plans All the question types you can expect to find on the ACT Suggestions on how you might approach the questions andPeterson's tried-and-true test-taking strategies and tips
Simple Justice is the definitive history ofthe landmark case Brown v. Board of Education and the epicstruggle for racial equality in this country. Combining intensiveresearch with original interviews with surviving participants,Richard Kluger provides the fullest possible view of the human andlegal drama in the years before 1954, the cumulative assaults onthe white power structure that defended segregation, and thestep-by-step establishment of a team of inspired black lawyers thatcould successfully challenge the law. Now, on the fiftiethanniversary of the unanimous Supreme Court decision that endedlegal segregation, Kluger has updated his work with a new finalchapter covering events and issues that have arisen since the bookwas first published, including developments in civil rights andrecent cases involving affirmative action, which rose directly outof Brown v. Board of Education.
One Saturday morning in February 1972, an impoundment dam ownedby the Pittston Coal Company burst, sending a 130 million gallon,25 foot tidal wave of water, sludge, and debris crashing intosouthern West Virginia's Buffalo Creek hollow. It was one of thedeadliest floods in U.S. history. 125 people were killed instantly,more than 1,000 were injured, and over 4,000 were suddenlyhomeless. Instead of accepting the small settlements offered by thecoal company's insurance offices, a few hundred of the survivorsbanded together to sue. This is the story of their triumph overincredible odds and corporate irresponsibility, as told by GeraldM. Stern, who as a young lawyer and took on the case and won.
From the founders of JD Jungle magazine, a hip must-read for present and future law-school students, or anyone who wants to learn the "laws of the jungle." There's an old saying about law school: The first year, they scare you to death; the second year, they work you to death; the third year, they bore you to death. Helping to alleviate this famed fright, sweat, and boredom, The JD Jungle Law School Survival Guide expertly shows current and prospective students how to navigate all three years of law-school torture. Comprehensive, practical, and witty, it includes advice from students in the trenches, successful graduates, sage professors, and working professionals, including: How to identify and get accepted at the law school of your choice Places to look for and get financial aid Effective note-taking, study, and exam-day strategies Tips for managing law-school stress How to pass the bar exam the first time How to land a law internship-and then the job of your dream
In 1787. . . We were given the right to practice the religion of ourchoice. We were given the right to say what we wanted withoutpersecution. It was written that our house and property were secure fromunreasonable search and seizure. We were given the right to apublic trial. Fifty-five men we will never know sat in a sweltering room andfought for us. We were given our rights as citizens of the United States. Every second fall, as we return again to the ballot box to decidethe course of our country’s leadership, every voter must find theirway back to that room in Philadelphia. Welcome Books is proud toprovide a map. The Constitution of the United States of America, inscribed andillustrated by the master calligrapher, Sam Fink, brings to lifethe issues underlying the triumphs of this abiding document.Originally published in pen and ink for Random House in 1987, Mr.Fink has gone back to his original black-and-white art and paintedit anew, created a full-color ma
People with disabilities forging the newest and last humanrights movement of the century.
Probably written by a student of Aristotle, The AthenianConstitution is both a history and an analysis of Athens' politicalmachinery between the seventh and fourth centuries BC, which standsas a model of democracy at a time when city-states lived underdiffering kinds of government. The writer recounts the majorreforms of Solon, the rule of the tyrant Pisistratus and his sons,the emergence of the democracy in which power was shared by allfree male citizens, and the leadership of Pericles and thedemagogues who followed him. He goes on to examine the city'sadministration in his own time - the council, the officials and thejudicial system. For its information on Athens' development and howthe democracy worked, The Athenian Constitution is an invaluablesource of knowledge about the Athenian city-state.
History comes alive-in this illustrated guide to theConstitution and all 27 Amendments. ? Which state refused to send a delegation to the ConstitutionalConvention? ? Why was the Convention held in secret, with sentries at thedoor? ? What are the 27 Amendments? The U.S. Constitution for Everyone relates how the "traitorous"Founding Fathers wrote the nation's supreme laws and how thethirteen Disunited States became a more perfect Union. A must forstudents of American history and for everyone who'd like to knowmore about the supreme laws of our nation.
Internationally renowned facilitator and public participation consultant James L. Creighton offers a practical guide to designing and facilitating public participation of the public in environmental and public policy decision making. Written for government officials, public and community leaders, and professional facilitators, The Public Participation Handbook is a toolkit for designing a participation process, selecting techniques to encourage participation, facilitating successful public meetings, working with the media, and evaluating the program. The book is also filled with practical advice, checklists, worksheets, and illustrative examples.
Beginning with the story of the forming of the Constitution,this book includes illuminating character sketches of thedelegates, written by their contemporaries. The complete text ofthe Constitution is highlighted, as well as Supreme Courtdecisions, cited because they shed light on Constitutionalproblems.
From prosecuting (and defending) murderers in the Bronx tohandling the public and private problems of Manhattan’s elite, Mouthpiece recounts the colorful adventures of New YorkCity’s ultimate legal operator. “In the pages before us, the Counselor tells a saga’s worth oftales of the city. As the saying goes, he’s got a million ofthem.” — Tom Wolfe, from his Introduction Edward Hayes is that unusual combination: the likable lawyer, onewho could have stepped off the stages of Guys and Dolls or Chicago . Mouthpiece is his story—an irreverent,entertaining, and revealing look at the practice of law in moderntimes and a social and political anatomy of New York City. Itrecounts Hayes’s childhood in the tough Irish sections of Queensand his eventual escape to the University of Virginia and then toColumbia Law School. Not at all white-shoe-firm material, Hayesheaded to the hair-raising, crime-ridden South Bronx of themidseventies—first as a homicide prosecutor and then as a defenseattor
Few books have had as great an impact on intellectual history as Kant's The Moral Law. In its short compass one of the greatest minds in the history of philosophy attempts to identify the fundamental principle 'morality' that governs human action. In strikingly fresh, engaging and idiosyncratic prose Kant carries his readers with him as he seeks 'the supreme principle of morality'. Supported by a clear introduction and detailed summary of the argument, this is not only an essential text for students but also the perfect introduction for any reader who wishes to encounter at first hand the mind of one of the finest and most influential thinkers of all time.
On June 28, 1972 in a South Bronx subway station, John Skagen,a white off-duty policeman on his way home, suddenly and withoutapparent provocation, ordered James Richardson, a black man on hisway to work, to get against the wall and put his hands up.Richardson had a gun, and the two exchanged shots. In the meleethat followed, Skagen was fatally wounded by a cop who rushed tothe scene. In the ensuing trial, William Kunstler handledRichardson's defense and the author of this book, then assistantdistrict attorney, prosecuted the case. Here is a first-hand,behind-the-scenes account of every step of the proceedings.
A perfect introduction to a vital subject very fewAmericans understand-the constitutional status of AmericanIndians Few American s know that Indian tribes havea legal status unique among America's distinct racial and ethnicgroups: they are sovereign governments who engage in relations withCongress. This peculiar arrangement has led to frequent legal andpolitical disputes-indeed, the history of American Indians andAmerican law has been one of clashing values and sometimes uneasycompromise. In this clear-sighted account, American Indian scholarN. Bruce Duthu explains the landmark cases in Indian law of thepast two centuries. Exploring subjects as diverse as jurisdictionalauthority, control of environmental resources, and the regulationsthat allow the operation of gambling casinos, American Indiansand the Law gives us an accessible entry point into a vitalfacet of Indian history.
“Law school applicants should consider this a guide toproducing a competitive, superior essay. . . . These successfulexamples speak louder than any written how-to instructions could.”–The Book Watch Each year, thousands of people apply to the most prestigious lawschools across the country, competing for an ever-smaller number ofspaces. But each applicant gets one chance to distinguish himselfor herself from the pack: the law school application essay. In theessay, you can spotlight the qualities you possess that tran*sand LSAT scores cannot reveal.
“The best legal read . . . in decades. A brilliantlyentertaining work, both for the lawyer and the layman.” Washington Times Robert S. Bennett has been a lawyer for more than forty years. Inthat time, he’s taken on dozens of high-pro?le and groundbreakingcases and emerged as the go-to guy for the nation’s elite. BobBennett gained international recognition as one of America’s bestlawyers for leading the defense of President Bill Clinton in thePaula Jones case. He has always fought for justice. This is hisstory. Born in Brooklyn and an amateur boxer in his youth, Bennett hasoften brought his street-?ghter’s mentality to the courtroom. Hiscase history is a who’s who of ?gures who have dominated legalheadlines: superlobbyist Tommy Corcoran, former secretaries ofdefense Clark Clifford and Caspar Weinberger, Marge Schott, and,most recently, New York Times reporter Judith Miller and formerWorld Bank president Paul Wolfowitz. Throughout the telling of his life in court, Be
Can the police strip-search a woman who has been arrested fora minor traffic violation? Can a magazine publish an embarrassingphoto of you without your permission? Does your boss have the rightto read your email? Can a company monitor its employees'off-the-job lifestyles--and fire those who drink, smoke, or livewith a partner of the same sex? Although the word privacy does notappear in the Constitution, most of us believe that we have aninalienable right to be left alone. Yet in arenas that range fromthe battlefield of abortion to the information highway, privacy isunder siege. In this eye-opening and sometimes hair-raising book,Alderman and Kennedy survey hundreds of recent cases in whichordinary citizens have come up against the intrusions ofgovernment, businesses, the news media, and their own neighbors. Atonce shocking and instructive, up-to-date and rich in historicalperspective, The Right to Private is an invaluable guide toone of the most charged issues of our time.