Customer Reviews

Law in America: An Illustrated Celebration

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The nature of this book does not allow for a full exposition of all aspects of American legal system; rather, it is a heavily illustrated overview and celebration of the major features of American law. The section on the American Jury System is reflective of this approach, briefly sketching the origins of the jury system from the Greeks, William the Conqueror and English jurisprudence and tracing its development in the American legal system. It begins with the sentence: "The jury system is at the heart of American law and our democratic system of government, enshrined in the Constitution." It closes with the phrase "...the right to a trial by jury is a basic and fundamental part of the American justice system and is likely to remain so." While the authors note that at one time American juries routinely excluded women and minorities and also notes that many cases are settled without a trial, it would be a terrible misreading to interpret this section as anything other than a positive celebration of the American jury system.

The book makes several peculiar claims, among them that boiling in oil was a common punishment in Colonial America. I would like to have seen some evidence substantiating this assertion.

Most of the pictures are nice.

Buy it at the sale price or not at all.

Out of the hundreds of pages in this book there were only 2 about the jury trial. Those pages said the jury trial was outdated. The contempt of the authors for real american law and justice is astounding. Anyone who denigrates the jury trial like this is literaly an enemy of everything america stands for.