Softbound - New, softbound print book.

Rule of law has vanished in America’s criminal justice system. Prosecutors decide whom to punish; most accused never face a jury; policing is inconsistent; plea bargaining is rampant; and draconian sentencing fills prisons with mostly minority defendants. A leading criminal law scholar looks to history for the roots of these problems—and solutions.

"Based on his popular Illustrated Guide to Law webcomic series, Nathaniel Burney debunks all of the popular myths about criminal law that get repeated on street corners, in locker rooms, and on websites every day -- all of them wrong. He teaches everything you never learned about the law. Not just what the law is, but why it's like that and how it works. The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law is a complete law school course that keeps the laughter in manslaughter. You start with the absolute basics (what is crime?) and are soon deep in complex concepts like conspiracy, self-defense, and yes, entrapment -- all explained with clarity, humor, and passion"--From publisher's description.

This text, the only criminal law casebook authored by two progressive female law professors of color, provides the reader with both critical race and critical feminist theory perspectives on criminal law. The book focuses on the cultural context of substantive criminal law, integrating issues of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation where relevant

Provides the entire story behind each case, including the facts leading up to the offense, photographs, and background information about the parties. This approach entices analytical thinking about how the law should deal with each case and reveals what actually happened to the defendants and why.

Unlike casebooks, this title provides rich narrative detail of the human stories -- and the social, political, and legal contexts -- of notable Supreme Court cases on criminal justice. It includes details not available elsewhere, and offers the insights of respected scholars who are experts on the particular cases and issues they address. This book will greatly enhance the teaching both of police practices (a.k.a "Cops and Robbers") and of criminal adjudication (a.k.a "Bail to Jail")

A retired criminal defense attorney takes readers behind the scenes.