How Can You Defend Those People? [Hardcover]

Mickey Sherman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

CBS-TV legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Mickey Sherman presents his controversial winning arguments and courtroom experiences together with his unique views and comments about our criminal justice system.

 

In the tradition of best sellers by Alan Dershowitz and Dominick Dunne, Sherman delivers a powerful, extraordinarily candid, and humorous account of his legal career that gives readers an ALL ACCESS BACKSTAGE PASS to the sausage factory that is the criminal justice system, as well as many cases we have all lived with on TV about which Sherman has provided commentary and insight on the various news channels. Sherman pulls no punches in his candid and often irreverent account of his experiences, observations and antics on and off the air, covering the big (and not so big) cases for the networks.

 

Sherman started his career as a public defender, then worked as a prosecutor, and later became a criminal defense attorney for clients such as Michael Skakel (convicted 27 years after the fact for the murder of Martha Moxley) and Alex Kelly (who, on the eve of his double-rape trial in Darien, fled to Europe for nine years). The raw Court TV coverage of his successful PTSD defense of a Vietnam veteran charged with murdering an unarmed man over a parking space argument was nominated for a Cable Ace Award.

 

Sherman’s defense strategies are frequently groundbreaking and sometimes more fascinating than the clients themselves, which is why he is a frequent source for NBC’s Dateline and Law & Order, CBS’s 48 Hours, Court TV, all the national news channels, the New York Times, Time, and Vanity Fair. He is even a recurring character in James Patterson’s bestselling novels.

 

How Can You Defend Those People? is an entertaining account of how a successful attorney deals with impossible cases and clients and boldly challenges accepted laws and conventional tactics, as well as a voyeuristic glimpse into the real lives and travails of clients who represent a fascinating cross section of life.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; First Edition edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599213737
• ISBN-13: 978-1599213736
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #605,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written, June 9, 2008

By 

Linda (Springboro, OH USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How Can You Defend Those People? (Hardcover)

I've often asked myself "how can that lawyer defend that person". I guess sometimes I still wonder, but in our wonderful country every person has the right to be represented/defended in court. Sort of reminds me of hate the sin but love the sinner . . Can't love the sinner, but can accept the fact that he has the right to good legal counsel.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hysterically Entertaining, May 5, 2008

By 

Quite Storm (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Can You Defend Those People? (Hardcover)

Hysterically Entertaining

Enchanted by the quagmires, challenges, and events that surround the lives of attorneys, media commentators, and entertainers?

Interested in the inside scoop on high profile cases, courtroom dramas, actors, players, and the personal boundaries that attorney's often face?

Want to read something that will make you laugh out loud, get teary eyed, stir your nerves, rock your views, and motivate you to live each day as you see fit?

If your answers are yes - then "How Can You Defend Those People" is a MUST READ! It's rare to find a book where readers are so moved by one man's life experiences! Mickey Sherman's accounts are so vividly cast and frankly depicted that they leave you yearning for more and wondering how all these interesting events could possibly have happened to one person! From Michael Skakel, OJ Simpson, Scott Peterson, Martha Stewart, the Menedez brothers ... to the quite unknown yet poignant story of Roger Ligon ... this book is well-written, exciting, and hysterically entertaining!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Canyon News - Review By: Tommy Garrett ~ Sherman Incredible, May 1, 2008

By 

Jason Crawford "Jason Crawford" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Can You Defend Those People? (Hardcover)

"How Can You Defend Those People" is the greatest new book for spring. After being written about in novels and on television shows, Mickey Sherman has finally penned his own story of his colorful and distinguished career. Mickey Sherman is a criminal defense attorney who is also a legal analyst for CBS and a frequent media commentator on legal issues for all the major networks. Having appeared regularly on NBC's "Today Show," CNN's "Larry King Live," "20/20," and many other news shows, Mickey has now written extensively for legal publications and has lectured nationwide on criminal law issues, as well as on the media coverage of them.

This book boldly explains how the famed attorney dealt with impossible cases and sometimes extremely impossible or difficult clients. But one thing is known in the legal world: Sherman's the man to hire when you are dealing with an impossible legal mission.

But those who have read this book all rave about Mickey's literary work. Bestselling author Dominick Dunne raves about "How Can You Defend Those People." Dunne, known as a victims' advocate, said, "I'll never agree with Mickey Sherman, but I must admit I really enjoyed his book. Underneath his sometimes fierce demeanor in the courtroom, Sherman is a witty man with an amiable personality, an expert story teller, and a lover of the law who fights hard for his clients."

Even TV legal powerhouse Nancy Grace raves about reading Mickey's book. She says of defense attorneys, "They are usually my natural enemy, but I enjoyed getting inside the brain of this defense attorney." Other fans of Sherman's work include the LAPD Chief, William J. Bratton and Oscar winning director, screenwriter and producer, Barry Levinson. But fans don't stop there. The new book is doing well with everyday readers and many of the famous in Hollywood as well. Lounging recently at Beverly Hills' Polo Lounge, it was in the hands of several well known agents in the business. Wonder if they were pondering what to do with some of their clients.

Sherman's defense strategies are frequently groundbreaking and sometimes more fascinating than the clients themselves, which is why he is a frequent source for NBC's "Dateline" and "Law & Order," CBS's "48 Hours," Court TV, and all the national news channels, the "New York Times," "Time," and "Vanity Fair." He is even a recurring character in James Patterson's bestselling novels. In the tradition of bestsellers by Alan Dershowitz and Dominick Dunne, Sherman delivers a powerful, extraordinarily candid, and humorous account of his legal career that gives readers an all access backstage pass to the sausage factory that is the criminal justice system, as well as to many cases we have all lived through via TV, which Sherman has provided commentary for and insight on the various news channels. Sherman pulls no punches in his candid and often irreverent account of his experiences, observations and antics on and off the air, covering the big (and not so big) cases for the networks.

Sherman started his career as a public defender, then worked as a prosecutor, and later became a criminal defense attorney for clients such as Michael Skakel (convicted 27 years after the fact for the murder of Martha Moxley) and Alex Kelly (who, on the eve of his double-rape trial in Darien, fled to Europe for nine years). The raw Court TV coverage of his successful PTSD defense of a Vietnam veteran charged with murdering an unarmed man over a parking space argument was nominated for a Cable Ace Award. Many who know Sherman believe that his humble upbringing is what makes him such an advocate for everyone in the system. Sherman tells "Canyon News," "Whether you like criminal defense attorneys or not. We all have a job to do and if you are ever accused of a crime that you didn't commit or you did commit, wouldn't you want a defense attorney to fight for your rights? Every citizen in our nation has constitutional rights; that's what makes America so great." Another reason America's great is because of Mickey Sherman. "How Can You Defend Those People," Sherman's first book, is available at Amazon and at bookstores across the nation. Here's hoping for more of Sherman's masterful storytelling to be weaved around the pages of more books.

I've known Mickey for years and he's always a fixture in Hollywood. He navigates the terrain of entertainment as easily as he does the corridors of courtrooms around the nation. Sherman is very well known and respected in Tinseltown and when his career as an attorney is done, he's surely going to break into some field in the entertainment biz. Charming, charismatic, handsome and very witty, he's comfortable with almost anyone.

Mickey Sherman is a criminal defense attorney who lives in New York and Greenwich, Connecticut. He's married to fellow author, legal analyst for FOX News, and former prosecutor, Lis Weihl.

Tommy Garrett is Editor of Canyon Newspaper in Beverly Hills and Contributing Editor of San Francisco News.