Jim Bakker: Miscarriage of Justice? (Hardcover)

~ James Albert (Author) "The most exciting attraction at Heritage USA, Jim and Tammy Bakker's 2,200-acre Christian Disney World, was the Bakkers' daily television program which was broadcast live..." (more)
Key Phrases: questions from the author, hotel partnerships, lifetime partnerships, Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye, Suzan Brooks (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Albert, a trial attorney and Drake University law professor, helped with imprisoned televangelist Jim Bakker's probation appeal. He claims that Bakker was badly treated during his 1989 fraud trial and that he was never guilty of fraud in a legal sense. This book traces the entire story of the Bakkers' ministry, centering on how their Heritage USA Christian resort led to their downfall. While Albert does not sugarcoat the Bakkers, portraying them as shallow, greedy, vain, and insensitive, he attempts to prove that, under different circumstances, there could have been a hung jury. His prose is graceless at times, and the work would have benefitted from cutting. However, Albert does offer a thought-provoking overview of one of the more bizarre trials of recent years.?Richard S. Watts, San Bernardino Cty. Lib., Cal.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Watched in more homes than Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, Jim Bakker's PTL Club was the most popular religious TV program of all time. But Bakker's empire collapsed when he was indicted by a federal grand jury for television fraud. He was found guilty after a tumultuous five-week trial, then sentenced to 45 years in prison by presiding judge "Maximum Bob" Potter. Evidence of intentional fraud on Bakker's part was weak. Videotapes of past PTL programs that would have helped Bakker's defense were never seen by the jury. What the jury did hear about were million-dollar salaries, corporate jets, and air-conditioned doghouses. James A. Albert is a law professor, trial lawyer, and expert on broadcast law. He is not a Pentecostalist or a follower of Bakker's. His curiosity piqued by strange and alarming details of the trial (including reports that the religious beliefs of some of Bakker's witnesses were held up to ridicule in the courtroom), Professor Albert thoroughly investigated the Bakker story. He scrutinized 4,000 pages of trial transcript and conducted exclusive interviews with Bakker, the witnesses, lawyers, and jurors. The result is an exciting courtroom drama. At the same time, Albert tries to understand how someone who may well have been innocent of the crimes with which he was charged could have been brought so low.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 424 pages
• Publisher: Open Court (December 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812693698
• ISBN-13: 978-0812693690
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #851,890 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for anyone wanting the whole truth!, January 11, 1999

By	G. Martell (New Brighton, MN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Jim Bakker: Miscarriage of Justice? (Paperback)

Some think the Miscarriage of Justice should have been called The Indictment of the Prosecution of James Bakker. If you've wanted to know the real truth behind Jim Bakker's trial, (and don't want to pay the fifteen cents a page for more than 4,000 pages of the transcript to decide for yourself) then you should read this book. Law Professor James Albert (with the help of his students) has done an exceptional job, taking the 4,000 pages of trial transcripts, pulling out the important relevant details, and chronologically integrating it with testimony from the Bakkers, PTL partners, prosecuting & defense attorneys, and jurors. Trial testimony and exhibits have also been included, so that you can decide the case for yourself. Jim & Tammy credit God with their rise from an obscure ministry to heading a multibillion dollar ministry known as the PTL network, whose broadcasting power was such , that even presidential candidates sought the endorsement of PTL and its followers. At the height of this success, a scandal arises, the ministry falls, and the whole world starts to turn against Jim & Tammy. Oral and written testimony are given which answers questions the reader would likely have. What were the charges against Jim? Why did the government prosecute him? Was the government willing to subvert justice to gain a conviction at any cost? Were the Judge and Jury fair and unbiased? What was Jim's defense? What happened during and after the trial? What happened to Jim and Tammy's faith in God? Was the conviction deserved, or was it the result of various parties seeking to bring down the ministry at any cost? Were church leaders seeking to gain the multi-million dollar ministry for themselves? Who stayed loyal to Jim in the midst of the trials, and who would turn against him? The ultimate question is whether Jim was a master con-man preying upon the elderly, or a man of God who being human, sinned? After reading this book, you may wonder if the political establishment, had some role in encouraging the prosecution for a conviction, to remove James Bakker, the PTL Ministry and its political power, from the political arena. Unfortunately, this book does not answer that issue. Some trial transcripts can be boring and monotonous. However, James Albert gives a captivating, easy to read book, that intersperses the testimony, with humorous and juicy details such as why the dog house had an air conditioner, or what did the Judge and jury think about Tammy's singing? From the heights of international acclaim, through the fall, the trials, the lonely depths of prison, to Jim's release, the book chronicles relevant testimony and provides additional evidence the jury never got to see, so you can decide for yourself if Jim was guilty as charged, or a "Miscarriage of Justice." This book will be particularly interesting to anyone who likes to read about justice, church & state, political and religious intrigue, sociology, psychology, theology or Faith under attack. It should be required reading from anyone leading a ministry or other non-profit organization as it shows the sometimes hostile attitude that prevails against those whom have different beliefs than the majority. Although the book in my opinion, provides a balanced approach, it should be noted that Mr. Albert did help Jim in his defense before the Appeal and Parole boards. I give the book 4 ½ stars.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ FOR ANONE INTERESTED IN JIM BAKKER, January 27, 1999

By A Customer

JIM ALBERT DOES HIS HOME WORK...ABOUT FIVE YEARS...ABOUT TIME SOMEONE WROTE THIS BOOK.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real eye-opener, April 28, 1999

By	"mhelle" (Des Moines, Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews

The book manages to be easy and fun to read while also backing up its statements with hard, well-documented facts (including footnotes, no less). A real eye-opener. At the time of the Bakker meltdown, I, like most people, didn't look past Tammy Faye's make-up or the air-conditioned doghouse before I passed judgment. I was a skeptic when I approached the book. Now, I'm convinced Bakker didn't receive a fair trial. I may never have read this book had the author not been a professor here at Drake Law School, but I'm glad I did. I think that if you have any interest in the subject at all -- no matter what your attitude toward televangelists, Jim Bakker, the law, or religion in general -- you should read this book. There's more to this story than the late-night TV jokes we all heard and, unfortunately, believed.