Distorting the Law: Politics, Media, and the Litigation Crisis (Chicago Series in Law and Society) [Paperback]

William Haltom (Author), Michael McCann (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226314642 | ISBN-13: 978-0226314648 | Publication Date: August 23, 2004 | Edition: 1

In recent years, stories of reckless lawyers and greedy citizens have given the legal system, and victims in general, a bad name. Many Americans have come to believe that we live in the land of the litigious, where frivolous lawsuits and absurdly high settlements reign.

Scholars have argued for years that this common view of the depraved ruin of our civil legal system is a myth, but their research and statistics rarely make the news. William Haltom and Michael McCann here persuasively show how popularized distorted understandings of tort litigation (or tort tales) have been perpetuated by the mass media and reform proponents. Distorting the Law lays bare how media coverage has sensationalized lawsuits and sympathetically portrayed corporate interests, supporting big business and reinforcing negative stereotypes of law practices.

Based on extensive interviews, nearly two decades of newspaper coverage, and in-depth studies of the McDonald's coffee case and tobacco litigation, Distorting the Law offers a compelling analysis of the presumed litigation crisis, the campaign for tort law reform, and the crucial role the media play in this process.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is an excellent study and should assume its rightful place in the pantheonn of law and society studies."--The Law and Politics Book Review (The Law and Politics Book Review )

About the Author

William Haltom is professor in the Department of Politics and Government at the University of Puget Sound and the author of Reporting on the Courts. Michael McCann is the Gordon Hirabayashi Professor for the Advancement of Citizenship at the University of Washington, Seattle. He is the author of several books, most recently the award-winning Rights at Work.

Product Details

• Paperback: 332 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (August 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226314642
• ISBN-13: 978-0226314648
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #346,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Court Rules
  • #35 in Books > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Litigation

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Objection Sustained!, May 21, 2007

By 

Edwin C. Pauzer (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Distorting the Law: Politics, Media, and the Litigation Crisis (Chicago Series in Law and Society) (Hardcover)

After having read Stephanie Mencimer's "Blocking the Courthouse Door" I became more interested in the arguments against "tort reform." However, this book did little to enhance that interest.

In defense of the authors, Haltom and McCann, they have presented a thorough discussion of the topic as it relates to politics, media and the litigation crisis, just as the subtitle says. There are chapters for pro-business tort reformers, plaintiffs and sociological scholars opposed to it, newspaper reporting and information selection, the story of "the McDonalds Hot Coffee Lady," tobacco litigation, and a final chapter, which I confess, I had no idea what they were talking about, mainly because I had lost interest. Their analyses are so in depth that they would probably even have John Stossel scratching his head.

My hypnotic trance was due to the academic presentation of information. In fact it was so dry, it almost gave me the Heaves. I object to this for the person who wants to learn AND be entertained. The objection is overruled for the reader who wishes to pursue serious academic study of the tort misinformation from different directions. For the latter, it is at least four stars. Either one will be better informed, and may God have mercy on your soul!

For me, it was a solid three, only because I wanted to find the information interesting.

Can I sue Amazon for this?

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Corporate Mythology, January 25, 2008

By 

Dennis L. Blewitt (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Distorting the Law: Politics, Media, and the Litigation Crisis (Chicago Series in Law and Society) (Paperback)

This book should be a must read for judges and reporters. It shows how propaganda, rather than fact, controls our lives, beliefs and behavior. It exposes the myths of litigation promoted by the ignorant and those in the sociopathic pursuit of profit.
It is a hard read for the unitiated and the writers assume that the reader has a basic understanding of law and sociology. It is essential reading for those who wish to reflect on the ills of post-modern societal and governmental organization.