Customer Reviews

Criminal Procedure, An Analysis of Cases and Concepts (University Textbooks)

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This is an excellent text. I was floundering in criminal procedure in that the assigned casebook was in my opinion unreadable. I was fortunate to find this book which far exceeded in quality my assigned book (Kassimer/LaFave, Basic Criminal Procedure, 11th edition).

The author divides the subject in several coherent topics and discusses the relevant principles and black letter law derived from the most important cases. At the end of each chapter, a summary is presented of the crucial points. In my opinion, this author's approach was very effective and I actually understood the material. As one example, the author clearly seperates the issues of Miranda Rights (5th amendment right to silence and/or attorney during questioning), 6th amendment right of counsel at trial, and involuntary confession violating due process rights. Each topic is discussed in detail with a summary at the end. This may seem basic to some but most books blend the topics into one thereby blurring the distinctions. The author's style is very straightforward and this makes for easy reading.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this book either as a primary text or as a supplement for learning the basics of criminal procedure. After reading this book, I went back and read the assigned text and, although I understood the material better the second time around, I kept thinking what a good book Prof. Whitebread's text is in comparison.

I read this book for a graduate class. While reading law opinions can be complexed, it is very informative regarding our constitution and the laws or opinions formed from it.