Triple Jeopardy: A Story of Law at Its Best-And Worst [Hardcover]

Roger Parloff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1996

Recounts the case of John Knapp, an innocent Arizona man who was saved from execution for murder by a group of lawyers who volunteered their services to prove that his conviction had been the result of a faulty trial.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1973, the two infant daughters of John and Linda Knapp died in a fire in their house near Phoenix, Ariz. The parents were odd: John was a feckless man who had difficulty holding a job and spent much time sleeping or being ill with "headaches"; Linda was a bright woman with severe psychological problems whose home bore testimony to her hatred of housework and who locked her children, ages three and four, out of the house when she couldn't cope with them. The authorities resolved that John had started the fire and, believing that Linda had done it, he confessed. There followed a 19-year odyssey that does no credit to the Arizona judicial system, in the view of Parloff, a reporter for American Lawyer. There were three trials. The first ended in a hung jury, the second in a guilty verdict and a death sentence. Then, a number of lawyers, convinced of John's innocence, entered the case and donated their services. They secured a third trial after discovering prosecutorial misconduct, distortions, evidence "lost" and expert testimony that was, in fact, inexpert. The third trial ended in another hung jury, and in 1992 John was allowed to plead no contest and gain his freedom. A telling argument against capital punishment.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In November 1973, near Phoenix, fire swept through John Knapp's house, killing his two young daughters. After a brief investigation, he was charged with deliberately setting the fire. Following a trial during which the defense was severely hampered by the rulings of the presiding judge and the decisions of a particularly determined prosecutor, Knapp was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Convinced that he was innocent, his attorneys worked tirelessly to prove that Knapp's conviction was the result of mistakes, withheld or destroyed evidence, distortions, and misleading testimony or possibly perjury. Finally, after his conviction was overturned and he was tried twice more, Knapp was found not guilty and freed. This book raises many issues of importance to society, including the use of the death penalty and the rights of indigents, especially in capital cases, but the prose is so labored that it fails to grab readers' attention. This is an important story of an innocent man wrongly convicted, but as it stands it cannot be recommended.?Sandra K. Lindheimer, Middlesex Law Lib., Cambridge, Mass.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 440 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (T) (July 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316692611
• ISBN-13: 978-0316692618
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,905,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Brilliant ! Should Be Required Reading !, April 18, 1999

By 

Andrea Sonn (East Windsor, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Triple Jeopardy: A Story of Law at Its Best-And Worst (Hardcover)

Roger Parloff's "Triple Jeopardy" should be required reading for any American interested in our system of justice. It should be included in the curriculum of all law schools. And any trial attorney who isn't familiar with this case is at a great disadvantage. By far, one of the best books on modern American criminal justice. And anyone who is still convinced, after reading the Knapp case, that the death penalty is justified, should just read this book once more ! Beautifully written. Brilliantly analyzed . A real treasure. Take a chance and read it. You will not regret it.