Customer Reviews

Beat the Heat : How to Handle Encounters with Law Enforcement

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Well written and amusing guide to avoiding trouble with law enforcement with repeated emphasis on using the right to remain silent and insisting on a lawyer. If more people followed this advice, criminal defense attorneys would have much easier jobs.

As noted in several places, the book does not substitute for the advice of an attorney, it is merely legal first aid to prevent fatal mistakes before the attorney arrives.

I would disagree with the authors on some minor details, but not on the critical details. I would likely even more strongly warn against representing oneself (p.175) in any but the most minor cases. I would also note that co-counsel or advisory counsel to a defendant representing himself is often very limited and the defendant needs to understand those limits before waiving counsel.

In sum, well worth reading.

I found this book very helpful and easy to understand. It's a good resource for anyone who would like to learn about interactions with law enforcement and the court system in a clear, well-written manner.

It's a short book and a short, but thorough, introduction to the topic. It includes tips on how to avoid incriminating yourself (guilty or innocent), your rights as a citizen, and how to mediate difficult or confrontational situations. The author does not use a lot of complicated legal language unless it's necessary and appropriate to do so, and even then, she fully explains new terms and ideas. Cartoons and reproductions of sample legal forms illustrate important concepts.

I think this would be a great gift for a teenager or new college student-- anybody who is gaining a greater independance and who needs the tools to deal with that. Bundling this with a simple cookbook, health guide, and some choice theological or philosophical books would make a great "welcome to adulthood, here's the user's manual!" gift. It might also be a good resource for anyone beginning research into the Bill of Rights and how it's practically used.

This book does not claim to be a guide to all things legal or a lesson in police procedure. It simply focuses on what rights you have when encountering the police. It is a simple read, but full of information. Many copies of official documents are included for your study.

Although some of the laws may've changed (especially in regards to search warrants), this guide is still a great primer on what to expect and what to do.

Some of the tips may seem common-sense to some, but I was surprised at the number of ways even a smart person could be trapped by law enforcement into incriminating themselves. It's hard to think under pressure and Beat the Heat makes is easy to not have to think yet not land yourself in more trouble than you're already in.

I highly recommend the book as a basic guide to your rights when dealing with police. That's what it's supposed to teach and it really delivers. There are a lot of rumors dispelled and a couple of really simple things to remember. I'm going to recommend it to a number of people (as it was recommended to me), but I'm not letting go of my copy!

I found the book very helpful & I will always respect people with guns & authority but I would use the info learned in this book and the DVD "Busted" to protect my legal rights..I found the Cherry Pie Three case example disturbing because they got 6 months jail for throwing a pie at someone AND the jury didn't want to convict them but was told they had no choice by the judge. People should learn more about the constitutional right to reject a law if they do not believe in it. However, prosecutors would use jury selection to eliminate law smart people and replace them with people who failed to get out of jury duty to begin with. I can also see why the police often jail mentally retarded and uneducated people because they are easy targets with police interrogations.

Great to know your rights! I learned a lot more from this book than any other source.

This is a really important book. The author has a clear and engaging style, and she's particularly good at using real-life examples to illustrate her points. The first chapter alone is worth the cover price. Essential information.

I first read about Katya in a book about the world's most notorious criminals. I was intrigued by her story and by the fact that she is also a very attractive woman. Katya was never really a criminal, she was only portrayed as one by our government. She had a "just cause" but her problem was she didn't know how to protect herself from the legal system. While in prison she studied to become a lawyer and later on, I believe, this book was written as a "lessons learned" account of what she wished she knew before she was arrested, to keep her out of prison. That is why I bought this book and I was not disappointed. Just read this book for yourself and then watch Cops on TV and see how often people's rights are subtlety undermined because of their ignorance of how to protect themselves from legal manipulation. There are more than a few scenes where ordinary people could have prevented themselves from being arrested or incriminate themselves. Learn to protect yourself and read this book!

I read over the selections provided and I have to say that anyone who pays $12 for this is wasting their money. These concepts are easily available for free on the internet or through other free sources. Any author that can only come up with 50 or so pages on a subject such as this isn't trying very hard, and half of the book is full of cartoons. In addition, one of the reviewers, Mumia Abu Jamal, is not a "political prisoner" as noted. He is a member of the Black Panthers, and is a convicted murderer who shot a police officer in the back and then stood over the gravely wounded officer and shot him in the head. His appeals, including federal court hearings, have all upheld his conviction. This book is a waste of money, paper, and ink.