From Booklist
On the heels of the verdict of the "trial of the century," Hutchinson's discussion about the social implications of the O.J. case is timely. He explores the very topics--race, sex, and class in America--that made the trial so discussed and debated. Hutchinson offers compelling comparisons of recent cases involving white and black male defendants with similar charges, yet with disparate dispositions. Not only were the white males treated differently by the courts for the same crime, but in these examples the males were all charged with sex crimes: sexual harassment, date rape, domestic violence, and child molestation. Hutchinson is seemingly building a strong case for the view of the black male as a menace to society, but then he veers off into such topics as young black men and their media image, leaving the study rather open-ended, as it perhaps should be at this point. Nevertheless, the response, especially the white response, to the jurors' verdict on October 2, 1995, and this book reinforce that race and class are issues that not only affect how one is treated but also how one sees the world. Lillian Lewis
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
