"Ready for the People": My Most Chilling Cases as a Prosecutor [Paperback]

Marissa N. Batt (Author), Johnnie L. Cochran (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 14, 2005

- A bona fide inside of the criminal justice system, Batt makes readers feel they are in the courtroom with her, as well as behind the scenes. This is nonfiction that reads like fiction.
- Fans of Law & Order and Court TV and novels by John Grisham, Scott Turow, and Ann Rule will love this gripping, hard-hitting book.
- Hardcover ISBN: 1-55970-705-4

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Los Angeles produces its share of horrific crimes leading to surreal trials, and in this volume, L.A. deputy DA Batt distills her 25-year career into an account of three such trials. Batt details the crimes: a vicious wilding spree, a homosexual rape and the nearly fatal beating of an unarmed man. For each instance, the author explains her techniques for interviewing the victims and the witnesses, then shows how she structures the prosecution's case for trial. Batt is a natural storyteller, with an acute eye for the revealing detail and a talent for building suspense. The characters populating the trials are vividly described, from a hardworking cop to a biased judge, or from a sleazy defense counsel to a superlative expert witness. Batt also lets her characters speak in their own voices, even when the language is raw and the subject matter repellent. Interestingly, the author did not focus solely on courtroom triumphs for the prosecution. One trial results in acquittal, and another produces a guilty verdict but a preposterously lenient sentence. Throughout these stories Batt teaches her readers about the law and its sometimes arcane procedures. The art of jury selection is addressed, along with the role of the preliminary hearing and the surprisingly complicated definition of attempted murder. The author's aim is to "shine a penetrating light into the darkest corners of the criminal justice system," an objective well served by this fast-paced and absorbing book.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Batt, L.A. deputy district attorney in the criminal division, draws on more than 20 years of experience in recalling her most challenging cases. She also gives readers an uncensored insight into prosecution from the perspective of the people (the state). The cases reflect an uncommon grittiness: rape, arson, attempted murder with multiple victims, a homosexual rape case in Hollywood, and the bludgeoning of an unarmed Mexican immigrant by a self-declared good citizen helping to keep the city clean. In her quest for justice, Batt encounters a homophobic judge and another apparently highly qualified judge who is blinded by the self-righteous motivation of a citizen vigilante, causing him to diminish the life value of the immigrant victim. Batt's compassion toward crime victims and good case preparation are contrasted with rulings that reflect the fragility of our criminal justice system. Batt aptly uses these selected cases to share her insight into human nature and the difficulties that exist on both sides of the law. Vernon Ford
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing (September 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559707364
• ISBN-13: 978-1559707367
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,866,130 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 Much more than criminal cases, December 23, 2003

By 

Daniel Packman (Boulder, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ready for the People: My Most Chilling Cases as a Prosecutor (Hardcover)

As someone lucky enough to get an advance copy of "Ready for the People", My Most Chilling Cases as a Prosecutor. I can tell you that this book is much more than an account of three horrifying crimes and their progression through "the system."
Deputy District Attorney Batt provides an essential course in criminal justice that is invaluable for anyone connected with our legal system and for everyone who wants to know the whole truth.
The reader will see the crimes as they are committed, watch as the cases are tried, and hear what the crooks, cops, victims, lawyers, and judges really say, on and off the record. This book reads like a novel and I had to keep reminding myself that it is all true: the pain of the victims, the viciousness of the criminals, the strength and dedication of some of the characters and the bigotry and ignorance of others, even among those sworn to uphold the law.
I was drawn so completely into the action that I found myself cheering when things went well, gasping in horror when they didn't, and laughing out loud at times. Mercifully, there is plenty of humor to leaven the heavy load of misery in these chilling tales.
"Ready for the People" is a legal textbook, a Buddhist study of putting faith into action, a fast-paced and completely absorbing thriller, and a celebration of the strength of the human spirit. Buy the book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Intriguing Picture..., August 25, 2004

By 

J H Murphy "Hank Murphy" (Agoura, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ready for the People: My Most Chilling Cases as a Prosecutor (Hardcover)

...of the L.A. justice system. I won't repeat the other reviews, but two or three things deserve note. First, Johnnie Cochran wrote the introduction...high praise indeed. Second, the appendix - "Twenty-five rules for giving effective testimony" - is interesting reading in itself. Overall, the book is not compelling reading, not forcing you to read it in one sitting, but it's interesting and varied. I consumed it in three sittings if memory serves. The pace is generally good, although I felt the Buddhism dragged a bit, but that was only a couple of instances. So - recommended - *especially* if you are a fan of mysteries set in Los Angeles! I await Marissa Batt's next work with more than a little interest.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good read, February 2, 2004

By 

Mindy Emmons (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ready for the People: My Most Chilling Cases as a Prosecutor (Hardcover)

Ms. Batt gives a good view of how the criminal justice system works without getting into boring details. It kept my interest and I couldn't put it down, as when I'm reading a good novel. The characters involved in the three cases were well-developed. I hope she writes a sequel.