Customer Reviews

The Criminal Law Handbook: Know Your Rights, Survive the System

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The law can be a dry and dull read, but these authors have introduced just enough humour to make the effort worthwhile. The names of almost every party in the numerous cases sprinkled throughout the book are puns or double entendres, and some of them are a little tricky to figure out, making for a nice diversion when the subject might otherwise have been tedious.

The whole arrangement of the book is meant to reflect the entire legal process and is extremely logical and accessible. It is excellently cross-referenced and makes frequent reference to the relevant sections of state and federal laws. The writing style is conversational and quite readable.

The authors take great pains to comment on those aspects of law that vary from state to state, which I found helpful considering how I was raised in one state and now live in another and took certain things for granted.

All the legal terms that are introduced are carefully explained, and facsimiles of the various legal documents, such as search and arrest warrants, are included at the end of each chapter.

One unusual feature that shows the depth of the authors' treatment is how they comment on the emotional state that defendants, victims and court personnel are typically in at various stages of the proceedings. They use this to explain how that may influence people's behavior and argue for or against certain courses of action, such as talking to police alone or waiting for a lawyer to arrive, etc.

This book provides an excellent overview of criminal law for the layperson. The authors provide a sound overview of complex topics without getting bogged down in the endless minutia inherent to criminal law.

It is also refreshing that the authors do not waste the reader's time by interjecting ideological and social policy opinions into the book.

Whether your interest in criminal law arises from intellectual curiousity or from finding yourself "in the system", I don't believe you will find a better introductory book than this.

An excellent source book for "getting it right" for lay persons who want to "cut to the quick" in the search for answers to legal problems concerning the criminal law system. No mumbo jumbo legalese here, just straight talk in plain English. Kudos to you and your effort.

Although the style of the book mimics that of "Represent Yourself In Court" by the same author, its substance is quite thin. It does not seem that sticking with a particular style had helped the author in this case. Many definitions are lacking, both in the body of chapters and in the index. Under the topic "theft" for example, the act of forgery is inferred from misrepresentation or conversion. Then the topic is cut short as if the author had suffered fatigue. Attempting to study a specific topic in criminal law would not get you too far by this book.

The stories and examples also did not help make the book useful. Too many stories blunt the flow of thoughts when attempting to follow the logic of specific legal entity. Since the book is not intended of do it yourself manual, the author is less effective in presenting an attractive reference by adopting his particular style of examples, bulleted items, and summation tables. Or, may be the area of criminal law is too specialized for amateurs.

Its historical analysis of how the criminal law grew, is also less attractive by virtue of its reliance of stories and large white space that make it hard to sum up historical landmarks in a concise length of paragraphs. There is little if any logical flow from one chapter to the other. That is not the case with its cousin, where one expects and finds subsequent chapters and subchapters very well connected and leading to a coherent outcome.

Mohamed F. El-Hewie
Author of
Essentials of Weightlifting and Strength Training

The Criminal Law Handbook is full of advice that I believe would help me if I ever did have an encounter with the legal system. From practical tips about the differences between jurisdictions to the history of Miranda rights (thank you Mr. Probably kidnapper and rapist), readers will be given an introduction to why the law is not necessarily your friend.

One of the key points is that you should never talk to the police without a lawyer present. Cops usually win in testimony and whatever they claim you said is generally taken to be what you said. Your best solution is to not say anything at all most of the time. The search and seizure chapter is critical, particularly with the Drug War still raging. One key point well taken - never invite the police into your home. Never. I am drawing my own conclusions here after having read about how many different excuses authorities can use to conduct a search. I've concluded that I should do anything in my power to prevent any searches of my person or property whenever possible since I gain nothing by cooperating and could potentially lose everything. Pay particular attention to the commentary on no-knock warrants and remember that such warrants are in common use because of the Drug War. The search and seizure chapter contains particularly interesting commentary on searches related to driving including "random" checkpoints. There are also helpful tips for what and what not to do when pulled over.

Chapter 3 covers arrests in great detail and includes a section on the use of force and on citizen's arrest. Chapter 4 discusses eyewitnesses. Chapter 5 details what to expect if you end up being booked into a jail or holding cell. Chapter 6 explains the process of going from suspect to defendant. Chapters 7 and 8 cover lawyers and the legal process in relation to criminal cases. Chapters 9 through 11 continue coverage of the criminal court process and defense strategies. The rest of the book is dedicated to the side of the law I haven't experienced at all including the trial process, legalese, sentencing, appeals, juvenile courts and what to expect as a prisoner of the state.

If you've got the time to read all 600+ pages you'll find a great deal of esoteric but useful information. For instance, if you want to know how the Patriot Act changed the legal landscape the information is on pages 292 and 293.

If you can only afford one legal primer, this would be a good one to keep around and peruse. Unfortunately the law changes rapidly. In fact, it changes so rapidly that even "professionals" who use it everyday don't know it very well. Thorough study of this primer and subsequent updates might make you a better expert than the next police officer who arrests you.

I bought this for a friend, who is in jail and, unfortunately, needs it. There are few references or other legal resources available to him in a small town facility, and he's said this book has been a great help. I'm glad NOLO books are available and that AMAZON delivers so quickly. He's also found NOLO books I've sent on representing yourself and how to do legal research very helpful.

I'm certainly not a lawyer, but I try to be well read on the general topic, especially civil liberties issues and the general history of the Supreme Court and their rulings.

From what I do know about the law, "The Criminal Law Handbook" is very accurate. The problem is that it has some glaring omissions as well as just naive advice/information that is devoid of reality.

First, the audience for this book I assume runs the gamut from those who might try to game the system (the guilty), people who have been unjustly charged, those who are being investigated, people who might be facing jury duty, general reference/legal hounds who just want to know things like this and those who have had their civil liberties violated.

For most of these categories the book does quite well. It explains the legal process and one's rights and there is immense value in having this knowledge.

For potential jurors I think this book is essential for the simple reason that the authors included information about jury nullification, something few Americans realize even exists. Jury nullification is a standard in US law that allows a jury to ignore the law completely and refuse to convict someone because they believe the law is unjust or that the law should not be applied to a specific individual due to circumstances. It is the unjust law aspect that arguably the most important, especially in cases where people have had their civil rights violated and have been charged with a crime. As the authors point out, this was the case in the 60s and 70s when protesters would be charged with a crime and juries would refuse to convict.

I'm detracting two stars, however, because the authors take a general legalistic approach that is devoid of reality and could easily mislead someone who wants to know what really happens. One example are the series of questions about prison conditions. Is the prison responsible for protecting an inmate from attacks? Answer is yes. OK . . . but do prisons follow the law? No, they can't possibly. There are just too many attacks and prison rapes for this to be a reflection of what really happens.

I was especially annoyed with the obvious exclusion about any information about free speech and political protests that related to the real world. I have traveled through this country as a photographer covering all sorts of political protests and I can attest to the fact that the police, all over the country, threaten arrest when there are zero legal grounds for such action. In probably many cases the local PD doesn't want to arrest, they just want the protesters to go away. Intimidation is the name of the game. However, arrests do occur all the time. The freedom of assembly and political free speech out in the streets is always under threat, regardless of ideology. I think this should have warranted at least a few pages beyond the information that was provided about hate speech and the Patriot Act.

This book is all about the letter of the law, not how the law is ignored or sometimes used in bad/illegal ways. For that reason I've deducted two stars as the book lacks information that every American should have about our legal system. Part of the sub-title is "Survive the System." You can't survive it very well if you aren't told how it actually works outside the parameters of the written law.

I picked this book on a whim as part of the Vine program. For the most part my legal education (i.e. cop shows on TV and two rounds of jury duty) well prepared me for this book but it cleared up a few myths and explained some things I never really understood. It was interesting to read and provides a good survey of criminal law in the U.S. while keeping it topical with a lot of short real life examples presented in sidebars throughout the book. The writing style is more conversational than professorial making it more accessible to a lay reader. It's not comprehensive on any subject so anyone looking for substantive information on a particular topic will probably need a different book. However if you are just looking to fill in the gaps or correct misperceptions created by watching too many episodes of "Law and Order" this is a good book to pick up.

This is an excellent way to learn the general ins and outs of criminal law. I imagine this would be very helpful for the families of criminals or those contemplating a crime (or figuring out what went wrong with their last one) but it is also a very informative and fun book for law-abiding types as well. Even with an above-average background in general law and various legal issues I learned some answers to questions I had never even thought to ask. Any book that can do that is worth owning as far as I am concerned. I would recommend purchasing this book without hesitation even if you are only slightly interested in the subject. I suspect that you will find out you are far more interested than you thought you were. And although I said, half-jokingly, that this book would be an excellent resource for criminals and their families, I really would suggest to anyone who, say, has a family member who seems likely to tread down the troubled road of crime in any way (you know who you are, I'm sure!) to pick up a copy of this book in order to find out what to do after you get that phone call from jail..."Uh, hello, Dad?..."

To keep it simple, this book is the most comprehensible reference law book I've ever read. It consists of a questions and answers format to aid anyone who may find himself dealing with the criminal justice system. Each chapter is loaded with information critical to the chapter's respective subject. The authors basically give the reader a tour of the criminal system and help her understand what goes on in a criminal case. It has helped me keep authenticity in a developing story involving police, lawyers and the court.