The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town

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John Grisham tackles nonfiction for the first time with The Innocent Man, a true tale about murder and injustice in a small town (that reads like one of his own bestselling novels). The Innocent Man chronicles the story of Ron Williamson, how he was arrested and charged with a crime he did not commit, how his case was (mis)handled and how an innocent man was sent to death row. Grisham's first work of nonfiction is shocking, disturbing, and enthralling--a must read for fiction and nonfiction fans. We had the opportunity to talk with John Grisham about the case and the book, read his responses below. --Daphne Durham

20 Second Interview: A Few Words with John Grisham

Q: After almost two decades of writing fiction, what compelled you to write non-fiction, particularly investigative journalism?
A: I was never tempted to write non-fiction, primarily because it's too much work. However, obviously, I love a good legal thriller, and the story of Ron Williamson has all the elements of a great suspenseful story.

Q: Why this case?
A: Ron Williamson and I are about the same age and we both grew up in small towns in the south. We both dreamed of being major league baseball players. Ron had the talent, I did not. When he left a small town in 1971 to pursue his dreams of major league glory, many thought he would be the next Mickey Mantle, the next great one from the state of Oklahoma. The story of Ron ending up on Death Row and almost being executed for a murder he did not commit was simply too good to pass up.

Q: How did you go about your research?
A: I started with his family. Ron is survived by two sisters who took care of him for most of his life. They gave me complete access to the family records, photographs, Ron's mental health records, and so on. There was also a truckload of trial transcripts, depositions, appeals, etc., that took about 18 months to organize and review. Many of the characters in the story are still alive and I traveled to Oklahoma countless times to interview them.

Q: Did your training as a lawyer help you?
A: Very much so. It enabled me to understand the legal issues involved in Ron's trial and his appeals. It also allowed me, as it always does, to be able to speak the language with lawyers and judges.

Q: Throughout your book you mention, The Dreams of Ada: A True Story of Murder, Obsession, and a Small Town. How did you come across that book, and how did it impact your writing The Innocent Man?
A: Several of the people in Oklahoma I met mentioned The Dreams of Ada to me, and I read it early on in the process. It is an astounding book, a great example of true crime writing, and I relied upon it heavily during my research. Robert Mayer, the author, was completely cooperative, and kept meticulous notes from his research 20 years earlier. Many of the same characters are involved in his story and mine.

Q: You take on some pretty controversial and heated topics in your book--the death penalty, prisoner's rights, DNA analysis, police conduct, and more--were any of your own beliefs challenged by this story and its outcome?
A: None were challenged, but my eyes were open to the world of wrongful convictions. Even as a former criminal defense attorney, I had never spent much time worrying about wrongful convictions. But, unfortunately, they happen all the time in this country, and with increasing frequency.

Q: So many of the key players in this case are either still in office or practicing attorneys. Many family members and friends still live in the same small town. How do you think The Innocent Man will impact this community and other small rural towns as they struggle with the realities of the justice system?
A: Exonerations seem to be happening weekly. And with each one of them, the question is asked--how can an innocent man be convicted and kept in prison for 20 years? My book is the story of only one man, but it is a good example of how things can go terribly wrong with our judicial system. I have no idea how the book will be received in the small town of Ada, Oklahoma, or any other town.

Q: What do you hope your readers will take away from The Innocent Man?
A: A better understanding of how innocent people can be convicted, and a greater concern for the need to reimburse and rehabilitate innocent men after they have been released.

Book Description

John Grisham’s first work of nonfiction, an exploration of small town justice gone terribly awry, is his most extraordinary legal thriller yet.

In the major league draft of 1971, the first player chosen from the State of Oklahoma was Ron Williamson. When he signed with the Oakland A’s, he said goodbye to his hometown of Ada and left to pursue his dreams of big league glory.

Six years later he was back, his dreams broken by a bad arm and bad habits—drinking, drugs, and women. He began to show signs of mental illness. Unable to keep a job, he moved in with his mother and slept twenty hours a day on her sofa.

In 1982, a 21-year-old cocktail waitress in Ada named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with capital murder.

With no physical evidence, the prosecution’s case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis Fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence. Ron Williamson was sent to death row.

If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you.

Customer Reviews:

Unbelievable In This Day and Age.......2007-09-30

I read this book thinking it had to be another Grisham work of fiction because if the story were true, America is in trouble.
This story is riveting, fast-paced and shows how truly horrible our justice system can be for those who can't afford a "Johnny Cochran".
I couldn't put this book down. The more you read the more you can't believe it really happened. Thank goodness for the pictures of the people in this story, it really brought home the fact that it's a true story.
Excellent job by Mr. Grisham.

Real Life Horror.......2007-09-29

"The Innocent Man" is a chronicle of Ron Williamson (former minor league baseball star), his life and ordeal as he was wrongly accused of murder and sentenced to death row as a result. He was forced to suffer this horror for 11 years until finally the system began to work for him, but only through the diligence and persistence of attorneys assigned to him years later, Mark Barrett and Barry Scheck, his loving mother and persistent sisters, in particular, his sister Annette. The cruelties and disrespect by the officers and District Attorney Bill Peterson that were inflected on him were horrifying. The shabby police work and "junk science," as well as the district attorney's expert witnesses (a majority of them picked from men and women serving time for horrendous crimes themselves) and brought to the stand to testify against Ron, was not only incomprehensible in itself but the fact that the Judge allowed their testimony to stand and control a man's life sentence is abominable. Ron's hometown of Ada, Oklahoma completely turned on him and he was proven guilty without a shred of hard evidence as was his friend, a respected 7th grade Science teacher, Dennis Fritz, merely by association. The book goes on to tell Ron's sad story as only it can be told by such an esteemed author/attorney as John Grisham. I would highly recommend everyone read this true story; it is a real eye opener as to how our justice system can go astray with the wrong people serving in our trusted government positions.

No good ending here.......2007-09-27

I seldom read Grisham but found his first non-fiction work hard to put down. The story of Ron Williamson has no happy ending. Not for Ron nor the young woman who was so brutually murdered.

Grisham does an excellent job of drawing us into the story. If you have never experienced justice (or lack of) in a small town you need to read this book. Had Ron lived in New York City or even Dallas he may have gone unnoticed wandering the streets and babbling like a mad man. But not in Ada, OK.

Lack of remorse in Oklahoma.......2007-09-26

This story had a tremendous impact on me. I support the death penalty but was abhorred to see how flippantly it was applied in Ada Oklahoma. Read this book first and then log onto District Attorney Peterson's web site to read his defense of his actions that were the subject of the book. The first thing he displays on his website is the American flag. Then he has a lengthy and tedious defense of all the minor points in Grisham's novel. He provides statistics on the probability of innocent people being convicted of felonies as if this excuses him for almost sending an innocent person to his death. Peterson tries to blow off Grisham as an anti-death penalty advocate. I truly fear for the soul of Mr. Peterson and the good people of Ada Oklahoma - a bit of remorse and repentance for what they almost did to an innocent man would help them when they meet their Maker. Hiding behind the American flag might help now but certainly not later!

Had it been a work of fiction I would have given it 1 star..........2007-09-18

... but it's not. It only looks like fiction in bad taste. Instead, this truly happened as described.

I'm not summarizing the story as the editorial reviews and most reviewers before me are quite descriptive.
May I just say that I think that every judicial system has its share of faults and flaws, but what's revealed in this book is simply astonishing and unbelievable from beginning to end. I can only hope that it rattles a few consciences whilst increasing awareness to prevent disastrous consequences for those involved.

As it always happens when I read J. Grisham's books, I've appreciated and enjoyed the clear and well structured narrative, even more so on this occasion. Being a real-life story, I'm sure it must have been quite a task to extrapolate all the relevant facts from all the interviews and paperwork generated by this case during the years, in order to present them clearly to the readers.

Unless you already know the epilogue, try not to peek at the photographs published right in the middle of the book. Some are quite revealing for the yet-to-be-read rest of the story. They don't actually "spoil everything" -in fact, whatever unfolded after turning those pages kept me on the alert and as incredulous as ever- but I still think it would have been preferable to print them at the very end of the book.

A part from that, "The Innocent Man" is highly recommendable.

Chasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit

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You will not be able to sleep until you finish this book
Moving true-life account of perfidious injustice
Justice-Texas style
If you believe in Justice in our court system, read this....
Justice?

Chasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit
Kerry Max Cook
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 006057464X
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

Kerry Cook is an innocent man who wrongly served two decades in Texas's notorious death house for the brutal 1977 rape and murder of 21–year–old Linda Jo Edwards. His struggle for freedom is said to be one of the worst cases of police and prosecutorial misconduct in American history.

In the summer of 1977, Cook was staying in Tyler, TX. He met an attractive young woman named Linda Edwards and was invited back to her apartment for a drink and left his fingerprints on the sliding glass door. Four days later, Ms. Edwards was found brutally murdered. When the police dusted for prints, they found Cook's and immediately arrested him. Edward Jackson ly testified that Cook confessed to the murder during a jailhouse conversation. Jackson was set free, only to kill again several years later. Cook, on the other hand, was convicted and sentenced to death.

He was thrown into a world for which no one could be prepared, and he survived beatings, sexual abuse, and depression; all the while, he fought against a justice system that was determined to keep him quiet and loath to admit a mistake. Through the work of a crusading group of lawyers who forced a series of retrials, his case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ordered the case be reconsidered.It wasn't until the spring of 1999 that Cook was finally able to put the nightmare behind him: long–suppressed DNA evidence had linked James Mayfield, Linda Edwards's ex–lover, to the crime.

Customer Reviews:

You will not be able to sleep until you finish this book.......2007-06-04

I have read the book twice. This is a first hand account of one of the worst cases of injustice in American History. Kerry Max Cook has brilliantly written his own book about life before and after death row and the scars that he still carries with him from the experience. I highly recommend this book to all. I have already bought copies for all my friends.

Moving true-life account of perfidious injustice.......2007-05-30

There have been a spate of books lately about how poorly the American criminal justice system performs. This is surely among the best, though it is not without fault.

Kerry Max Cook was convicted in 1978 of a brutal rape and murder. He was sentenced to death. Over the course of 21 years with the help of a series of committed criminal defense attorneys and capital punishment opponents, he was able to obtain three re-trials. One resulted in a hung jury, another in guilty verdict and the fourth pending trial led to an agreement that saw him released from prison and death row, still as a convicted murderer.

After 20 years on death row, several appellate court decisions and DNA testing, it is abundantly clear that Kerry Max Cook didn't committ murder, rape or any other crime against Linda Jo Edwards in 1977. It is also clear that a long line of Smith County, Texas prosecutors, police officers and others committed crimes against Cook, the least of which is perjury. Nothing of course happened to those who perpetrated frauds upon the court, violated their canon of professional responsibility or flat out perjured themselves. The man the DNA evidence and early eyewitness account pointed to as the murderer has never been charged. In fact, the Smith County, Texas District Attorney's office still maintains, despite the proverbial mountain of evidence against it, that Cook is guilty.

Cook is literate, but not overly articulate. His tale of unbelievable hardship drags in places, but the message resonates clearly: there are proecutors and cops who lie simply to get a conviction. There are criminals who will conjure up stories with the help of prosecutors and cops to get a good deal for themselves while an innocent person is condemned.

I live in the Chicago area where dozens of convicted murderers have been set free because DNA evidence, unavailable or untested at the time of their trial, has established that they could not have been the perpetrator of the crime. The man who headed the State's Attorney office that secured many of these false convictions, Richard M. Daley, has been repeatedly elected Mayor of Chicago. The media never questions him about how all these innocent men were convicted. The same holds true in Smith County, Texas: the several District Attorneys who used perjured evidence or even perjured themselves go unpunished as does the suspect most likely to have committed the murder.

With the recent case of the three Duke University lacrosse players accused of a non-existent rape by Mike Nifong, dubbed a "rogue prosecutor" by the North Carolina Attorney General, we've seen once again how easy it is for prosecutors with the help of dishonest law enforcement officers to frame totally innocent victims. (The NC Attorney General called the three accused innocent.)These three young men were fortunate in that their families had enough resources to get them good legal help and that mostly conservative bloggers investigated and started poking holes in Nifong's stories. It was months before even parts of the mainstream media began to doubt Nifong and the accuser. Kerry Max Cook and the many other convicted innocents weren't as fortunate.

Kerry Max Cook has written a compelling account of his life. That he can have any hope at all is indeed inspiring. His story is a caution that the guardians, above all, must be guarded. The innocent are, as we learn almost monthly as more convicted murderers are found to be innocent through DNA testing, condemned to lengthy prison terms or even death based upon mistaken or knowingly false testimony.

Jerry

Justice-Texas style.......2007-05-08

In March 2007, I attended a talk by Kerry Cook with a 80+year old nun who asked me to go with her. I did not have a clue the subject, I just went to drive for her. What an eye opening experience hearing Cook talk about his experiences in the small room crowded with college students, some of whom are part of various programs to help those imprisoned who are innocent. I later bought the book and I was angry the entire time I read it and ashamed I am a Texan, but relieved that Texas lawyers were the ones who finally helped Cook get free. Cook's story will change your life; if you are in favor of the death penalty, it will change your mind. If you are on the fence, you will get off it. You know in your heart and by current events that there are many more innocents wrongly on death row, put there by "evil" prosecutors, sheriffs, lawyers, etc., not to mention just sloppy police work. It's a crap shoot how you are treated. Kerry Cook is white, can you imagine how Blacks and Hispanics are treated in the criminal justice system?? I am still reeling and Kerry Max Cook has the rest of his life to have nightmares....

If you believe in Justice in our court system, read this...........2007-03-17

because you won't be a believer for long.

Kerry Max Cook tells us exactly how it is to be on death row in this country. He paints the picture of being wrongly convicted that chills one to the very core of their being.

If your pro death penalty... you won't be so sure of that belief after reading this.

One has to give this man KUDOS for enduring a 20+ year nightmare. As well as the attorney's that stuck by his side and believed in him and worked pro bono. It takes a hell of a belief system to get through what this man survived.

I recommend this book to everyone, pro or anti death penalty. It is very educational on our justice system, prosecutor misconduct, judges who are blind to "real justice" & Investigators who will stop at nothing to gain a conviction.

TRUST THE EVIDENCE, NEVER TRUST THE AUTHORITIES.

Justice?.......2007-03-15

Having just finished reading Chasing Justice I probably should be waiting a few days - or even months - to calm down a bit, but I'm finding that impossible. The anger I feel, not only for what the author somehow managed to endure for over 20 years, but how little has been done by the people of Texas to rid themselves of the continuing menace that infects their legal system makes me wonder what kind of a people we are, to continually put our heads in the sand, ignoring the continuing abuses perpetrated by the police, prosecutors, judges and politicians that are supposed to be serving us.

In one of Cook's final chapters he tells us what most of the main participants are doing today. Aside from a few that have died or retired, all police, prosecutors and judges are still doling out Texas-style justice. The person who all of the legitimate evidence points to as the real murderer is still free. Of course all of the residents of Death Row who were there with Cook have been executed. I realize that this thirst for blood is not just peculiar to Texas - much the rest of our nation isn't that much better - but one would think that if we're going to be handing out the ultimate punishment so frequently, even though it doesn't accomplish anything other than satisfying a savage hunger for revenge, it might be wise to make sure that we get it right and make sure that the innocent don't get flushed down with the guilty. One also has to wonder how the family of the murdered girl managed to go along with the charade all of this time, knowing full well that the wrong man was being persecuted.

It's also interesting that who should make an appearance in this Kafka-like saga other than George W. Bush himself. As Texas Governor between 1995 and 2000 one of the first things he did was to sign off on legislation to make it easier to execute those on Death Row by limiting the appeal process available to them, resulting in him signing off on over 150 executions in 5 years. How many of those men were innocent? Is this where he developed his officials-can-do-no-wrong attitude that he has ruled with since he came into power in 2001? In the case of Texas vs. Kerry Max Cook errors and incompetence led to lies and cover-ups which led to more lies as witnesses were coached into changing stories, forensic evidence misinterpreted and pages from witness accounts "lost." All this so officials in charge of the case wouldn't have to admit that they erred in the first place -something that they've refused to admit to this day. In the case of the Bush Administration vs. the U.S. - or perhaps it should be the World - errors and incompetence made after 9/11, accompanied by a huge dose of arrogance resulted in lies and cover-ups which have led us to where we are today. If those parallels aren't enough and we need more all we have to do is throw in a huge portion of a public that is willing to accept practically anything that is told to them because we must "trust our leaders."

Kerry Max Cook is an example of what a human being is capable of. He's managed to take those 20 years that were stolen from him and make them meaningful to all of us. He shouldn't be ignored.

Mean Justice: A Town's Terror, a Prosecutor's Power, a Betrayal of Innocence

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Humes an advocate as much as a journalist
Power gone awry
It's about time
Spin, spin and more spin
A Must Read.

Mean Justice: A Town's Terror, a Prosecutor's Power, a Betrayal of Innocence
Edward Humes
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0684831740

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Bakersfield, California, has earned a reputation for being tough on crime. District Attorney Ed Jagels took much of the credit for the incredible conviction rates in Bakersfield courtrooms, from high-profile child molestation ring busts to cases like that of Pat Dunn, a retired high school principal who was found guilty of murdering his wife--despite a disturbing lack of evidence linking him to the crime. Mean Justice tells Dunn's story compellingly, from his childhood in Bakersfield to the trial that would put him away for life. It chronicles his solid belief in justice and authority and his gradual disenfranchisement with the system that railroaded him for reasons that could only be political.

Humes's exhaustive account also covers prosecuting attorney Ed Jagels's rise to political power and influence and the juggernaut of prosecutorial misconduct that caught many others, along with Dunn, in its fury. But it is at its core the horrifying story of an innocent man who had faith in a system that would eventually destroy him. It's not an easy story to digest, and it is apparently not an isolated incident: Humes brings up case after case where seemingly innocent people were arrested, prosecuted, ostracized, and jailed for crimes that may or may not have even occurred. Mean Justice is a gripping and fascinating book that deserves to be read on many counts. --Lisa Higgins

Book Description

Deep in the heartland of California lies a city on the cutting edge of the nation's war on crime. Besieged by spectacular crimes in which pillars of the community were accused of murder, rape and the most vile conspiracies, Bakersfield found its saviors in a band of bold and savvy prosecutors. They descended on the courthouse like avenging angels, winning their cases, forging sweeping new laws and creating one of the toughest towns on crime in America -- a model for the rest of the country.

There is only one problem: The people who were arrested, tried and imprisoned in those landmark cases were innocent.

In Mean Justice, award-winning author and journalist Edward Humes embarks on a chilling journey to the dark side of the justice system -- the powerful true story of one man's battle to prove his innocence. It is a story both deeply personal and sweeping in scope, for Humes shows how the individual injustice done to one man is part of a disturbing national trend, in which innocence becomes the unintended casualty of the war on crime, and the immense new powers of prosecutors -- from Main Street to Wall Street to Pennsylvania Avenue -- are dangerously unchecked.

Combining the investigative reporting skills that earned him a Pulitzer Prize with the gifted storytelling honored by a PEN literary award, Humes tells how retired high-school principal Pat Dunn was prosecuted for killing his wife to inherit her millions. As taut and exciting as a suspense novel, Mean Justice reveals how Dunn's case was tainted by hidden witnesses, concealed evidence and behind-the-scenes lobbying by powerful politicians. More horrifying still, there were many such cases in this All-American town, where a well-meaning desire for public safety led to something dark and terrible and unjust. Finally, Humes asks whether the mean justice dispensed in Bakersfield, California, may be fast becoming the norm for the rest of the country, where, in our zeal for order, we are increasingly forgiving prosecutorial misconduct. American cities are enjoying their lowest crime rates in decades. But at what price? Mean Justice provides an answer both compelling and frightening.

Customer Reviews:

Humes an advocate as much as a journalist.......2005-01-15

There are early parts of this book that can seem comically one-sided. By the end, the reader is persuaded by the overwhelming evidence that Dunn cannot possibly be guilty. But in the opening pages, Dunn's behavior is so bizarre, so eccentric, so plain weird, that it seems perfectly understandable that the police consider him a suspect. And when Humes tries to explain away Dunn's behavior as ordinary and natural, it diminishes his credibility throughout the rest of the book.
However, I'm a great admirer of Humes. His writing is amazing and his books are smart and readable. Like 'Mississippi Mud,' this one cries for an update. Check his Web site if you want to read more.
This is also a good jumping-off point for reading further about some of the shameful Bakersfield scandals of the '80s and '90s.

Power gone awry.......2004-04-25

I've been interested in issues of criminal justice, particularly those of the witch hunts of the last several years. You know, there was the McMartin trial, a joke of astronomical proportions. Then there were "recovered memory" cases, and those of the alleged Satanic conspiracies. It seems the Prince of Darkness has emissaries here on earth abducting our kids, eating those he's forced us to abort, and on and on and on. Trouble is, as even senior FBI investigators have admitted, there's no evidence to suggest that these atrocities ever took place. No bodies, no dark rooms, no blood. Hmm. Makes a guy wonder.

Then I talked with an acquaintance who's interested in some of the same subject matter. After our discussion, I looked at Amazon.com and found this volume.

First, allow me to confess that I nearly gave the book four stars. I did so only because there is so much detail as to be almost overwhelming. But then I had to give it five (or more, if it were possible!) The detail is more than necessary for reasons which follow.

The text is ostensibly about the trial of Pat Dunn. He was a former high school principal whose wife died under mysterious circumstances. The prosecutors in Kern County, California, were so zealous that they performed what was the TRUE subject of the book: prosecutorial misconduct. That is, indeed, where the subject digressed from merely Pat Dunn. It seems the law enforcement apparatus of that county has a reputation for being "tough on crime." So tough, alas, that there were countless people going to jail. First that was the massive--yes, Satanic Conspiracy trial. Hundreds were sent to jail for a long, long time. The prosecution used dubious questioning tactics of children, social workers who should have been in the local home for the bewildered--again, on and on. Then a young black athlete was convicted under equally dubious circumstances. Then others. I could get tired of putting, "on and on" here so assume it's a phrase I'd use more if I even had to.

By the way, most of those convictions had been overturned; all, so far, except Pat Dunn's, despite the lack of any evidence to convince a sane court of his guilt.

Then there's the issue(s) of the convicted criminals whom the prosecutors made deals with to convict the accused--while the prosecutors kept details of such deals out of views of the defense and the juries. (I add something the book barely mentioned: if there are obviously innocent people in prison because of prosecutors more intent on winning then on finding the truth, then there are the guilty who are still among us! That alone is a criminal offense for which the prosecutors should be prosecuted!)

Among the conclusions of the book is that such misconduct seems to be happening all over the US. Indeed, the accused are losing their right to appeal; in G.W. Bush's Texas, the state with the greatest number of executions, exculpatory evidence was not permitted after a limited time so that evidence enough to free a convicted murderer could no longer be presented as evidence. So an obviously innocent men was put to death.

There's so much in the book I'm not even sure where to go with it. The text certainly affirms my acquaintance's observation that probably 15 percent in prison haven't done anything. (That proportion is suggested by the book too to apply to the death penalty. Many on death row have been freed over the last few years due to the misconduct of the prosecutors and the courts. And that doesn't even include the many whom the state has put to death who were not guilty.)

Who is criminal given those stats?

The second of the book's appendices consists of several pages of convictions obtained through the prosecutorial misconduct that is the real subject of the book. That itself is an eye-opener. (The first appendix, incidentally, is a list of the convictions and how many are still in prison after retrials or the cases having been thrown out in Kern County itself--many after the accused have spent incredible times in prison after bogus convictions. That information alone should cause the impeachment or resignation, and conviction of those parties to the courts of that county!)

The author concludes that the system is rigged to sustain itself. Try to find courts who've overturned convictions even when the prosecutor was exposed as a fraud who should have been jailed for his/her performance in the trial. They exist but they're few and far between.

To me the point of the book is that there MUST be a price to pay for the prosecutors and even judges for the sort of misconduct the book so amply demonstrates. I mean, these people are supposed to be public servants. Instead, they're public menaces, making a sham out of anything remotely "just." (Ironically, the Kern County DA, who claims to be a Republican, is more akin to a Soviet bureaucrat than most in positions such as his!) I think, in fact, that the most severe punishments should be reserved for those who abuse their authority like those described by the book.

Read this important book and make your own decisions as to how to punish these criminals, who are more a "lead" in the book than Pat Dunn. But be prepared to have your assumptions of American criminal "justice" challenged.

It's about time.......2002-06-30

Ed Jagels is a crooked person. It is about time someone told what he is like.

Spin, spin and more spin.......2002-04-16

I couldn't wait to read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Humes' earlier work, "No Matter How Loud I Shout." I found NMHLIS to be balanced and thoughtful. Interested in reading more from this engaging author, and as a Southern California transplant originally from Bakersfield, I was immediately drawn to this book. Unfortunately, in "Mean Justice" Mr. Humes appears to have lost the reasoned approach that provided NMHLIS a ring of credibility.

"Mean Justice" presents an overtly biased perspective of the Kern County Sheriff's Dept/D.A.'s office. The tendency of the author to portray evidence indicative of Dunn's guilt as "unfortunate setbacks" to the defense case is hypocritical; especially since any minor inconsistency between prosecution witnesses' accounts are depicted as some blatant attempt to railroad an innocent man.

What a disappointment this book proved to be! There was a great deal of repetition as Humes attempts to bully the reader into accepting his flawed perspective of things. I think the truth is probably somewhere between the two extremes represented in "Mean Justice," but we will never know the truth from this book. Humes zealously advocates for his version of the "truth" in this biased presentation of "evidence".

Mr. Humes is a gifted storyteller, and I found the book engaging as pure entertainment; however, Mr. Humes' trustworthiness as a reporter of the facts was delivered a fatal blow by "Mean Justice."

Enjoy the story, but read this book with a critical eye for its inherent bias.

A Must Read........2001-11-15

It's been a while since I've read the book, but I wanted to share some of the general impressions that I had of this book when I read it. By showing the example of inadequate police work in one community, the author is able to raise many questions about the legal system in America. Plenty of evidence is given in this book which shows that a person was convicted for murder and likely sits in prison unjustly. Anyone who believes that justice is always served in our court systems should read this book to learn how various factors can come together to work against possibly innocent persons. This book is important, intriguing, and difficult to put down.

Malignant Medical Myths: Why MEdical Treatment Causes 200,000 Deaths in the USA each Year, and How to Protect Yourself

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malignant medical myths
Buy One for your Physician
Evidence based medicine at it's best!
Highly Recommended
A valuable book

Malignant Medical Myths: Why MEdical Treatment Causes 200,000 Deaths in the USA each Year, and How to Protect Yourself
Joel, M. Kauffman PhD
Manufacturer: Infinity Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0741429098

Product Description

A fearless exposé of mainstream medicines most revered dogma, Malignant Medical Myths is solidly based on trusted medical and nutritional books and journals. Americans spend $2 trillion per year on health care, about $7,000 each, yet it buys almost the poorest healthcare among developed countries, with 200,000 deaths per year from medical treatment. Find out why advice from authorities on screening tests, drugs, diet, exercise, alcohol, radiation, radon, and water fluoridation is often wrong and commercially motivated. See how clinical trials are slanted. Understand how sickness is created to sell treatments, and which government agencies support these shenanigans.

Customer Reviews:

malignant medical myths.......2007-10-05

This was exactly what I was looking for, INFORMATION and while it isn't a book for the beach, I will read and refer to it for many days,months and years. Would not part with this book.

Buy One for your Physician.......2007-06-13

One of the most remarkable examples of herd behavior among humans is their tendency to create and believe lore about medicine. Although biomedical researchers consider themselves above all this, as Kauffman shows, they are not. Without engaging in either inflated rhetoric or florid outrage, Kauffman exposes and dissects conventional wisdom in a careful selection of conditions that affect large numbers of people. Despite the occasional misstep, he puts the evidence and argument out on the table for us to see and judge. We cannot ask for more. When you are finished reading it, send it to your doctor.

Evidence based medicine at it's best!.......2007-02-26

If you care about your health, or that of those around you, this is a must read book.

This certainly isn't a book you can simply skim read. It took me a while to ponder about the impact this might have (I'm a medical student). The arguments are very well presented; he puts all the studies in front of you and analyzes them in a relevant manner.

What I consider to be a minor flaw in the book: the author sometimes concludes that certain differences in mortality are "negligible" when I don't think they are negligible. Certainly though, improvements in mortality rate are far easily attainable via fish oil, magnesium and other quality supplements.

I would love to see a new version of this book, further exploring and digging through the literature on various drugs and supplements.

Highly Recommended.......2007-01-29

You need this book. It is easy to become so engrossed in Kauffman's easy writing style that you will continue reading and lose track of time. Thumb through and stop at any place and you are guaranteed to find a wealth of information. Detractors to the best toxic-free remedies are provided rebuttals--you can learn a comprehensive approach to what and why. Let's make this required reading in medical schools! The only error I found was a typo misspelling of Antiplatelet in the Fig. 1-2 Treatment Meta-Analysis Table (p. 21). Again, this book is so loaded with useful information you will constantly refer to it. On p. 232 and again on p. 254 we read, correctly, how sunblock contributes to cancer by blocking Vitamin D formation--something that Rodale Press in their vast publishings fail to impart. Rodale Press, whom some may consider a leader in preventive health publishing, recommends sunblock to unsuspecting readers.

The hallmark of clinical observations (p2-3) over random clinical trials [RCT] is a common sense approach often missed in the medical literature and is sometimes used to discredit bonafide treatments that elicit positive results. You will learn of the class-action lawsuit against Pfizer regarding Lipitor [still want to ask you Dr. if it's right for you?](p97) and that statins cause cancer (p98).

The section on fluoridation is a must read. "How Antiflouridationists Have Weakened Their Cause," to only non-English speaking countries having the foresight to reject fluoride, to 60% US public water supplies being fluoridated--we get the good, the bad, and the ugly. As fluorides have been shown to increase cancer risks, adding them to water violated the Delaney Clause of the 1958 Amendment to the Food Drug & Cosmetic Act of 1938. So, the Delaney Clause was repealed in 1996 (p.273). Also, adding fluoride violates the EPA policy on drinking water standards (Safe Drinking Water Act) explaining why the 1990 National Toxicology Program on sodium fluoride was "revised" with findings of "clear evidence of carcinogenicity" to "equivocal" evidence. This was necessary to keep the flouridation program legal (p274).

On mammograms, benefits claim lower breast cancer mortality without providing all-cause mortality. Kauffman reminds that this is also a major fault in "major texts in gynecology and oncology" (p217). However, I was surprised to find thermography cast in such low regard, but then this is coming from the American College of Radiology, who cites a false-positive rate of 25% (p.212). Kauffman clarifies this in Addendum 1, on an entire page devoted to Thermography, in which thermography is better "able to detect breast cancer 5-8 years before mammography with vastly fewer false-positive errors" (p.327).

On anti-oxidents in red wine, Kauffman notes no evidence that moderate drinking offers worthwhile health benefits (p.142). What Kauffman calls "sudden enthusiasm for red wine in the late 1990s," reminds of a medical school course in which the professor remarked his telling the grape juice convention promoters that their product wasn't needed--that wine was preferred. No mention was made by the professor of the far superior anti-oxident capability of 1 gram of Vitamin C--in comparison.

There is absolutely no reason that this book should not sell out and go through several subsquent printings. A valuable edition to your medical library or home book-shelf.

A valuable book.......2006-10-21

In Joseph Conrad's famous novel, "Heart of Darkness," Marlowe, the narrator of the central tale travels to the Congo in search of the enigmatic and elusive Kurtz, a renowned European ivory trader who went to Africa as an idealistic "emissary of pity, and science, and progress." Marlowe finally encounters Kurtz on his deathbed, in a compound surrounded by a ruined fence, the posts of which are capped with shrunken human heads. Kurtz, having succumbed to primitive, destructive forces-- both external and internal-- utters his last words-a withering realization of truth: "The horror! The horror!"

Readers of Joel Kauffman's book "Malignant Medical Myths" should prepare themselves for an analagous journey of discovery. Not only will they learn of the specifics: that taking an aspirin a day may not make you live longer; that low carbohydrate diets are beneficial, not dangerous; that statin drugs, while effective in reducing cholesterol-an irrelevant endpoint-do little to reduce mortality-and then only in a very select population; that high blood pressure is over-treated; that the benefits of moderate alcohol use, exercise, and mammograms are exaggerated; that chelation therapy is unfairly maligned; that fears of radiation are overdone; that cancer cure rates have not changed much in the last forty years.

More important than these specifics is the totality-the picture of the medical establishment which emerges from them. That establishment, like Kurtz, is often seen as a beacon of pity, and science, and progress, but, when examined more closely, seems corrupted by greed, an aversion to truth, and a kind of tribalistic conformity; it seems to lack the structures which would provide an ethical backbone, and promote a commitment to scientific thinking. The hospital compound, with its white coats and gleaming machines is shadowed and compromised by an ominous fence of grievous errors and unpleasant truths.

The first subheading in Dr. Kauffman's introductory chapter is: "You Do Not Have To Trust Your Doctor." The reasons gradually become clear: Doctors' recommendations often rely on information which is "outdated, biased, flawed, and sometimes based on outright fraud."
Drug companies manipulate the results of clinical trials by careful selection of volunteers, by elimination of those who show initial adverse side-effects, by publishing only favourable results, by dealing only with surrogate endpoints, by failing to use placebos, and by failing to provide total mortality figures. Relative risk statistics, which are often highly misleading are used to advantage. Abstracts of medical papers, and hence press releases, may contain selective and hence misleading information. Doctors may not only rely on information given by drug company representatives; they are feted, gifted, and even paid by drug companies. Doctors on decision-making committees and panels often have conflicts of interest because of financial ties to drug companies. Doctors have great difficulty in exercising independent judgement, because conformity to current thinking, no matter how mistaken, is the safest course.

"The horror! the horror!"

We should be grateful to Dr. Kauffman for the research he has done to expose these medical myths, and reveal the corruption which initiates and maintains them. I became aware of Dr. Kauffman's work in 2005, in researching the causes of heart disease. Dr. Kauffman is a former professor of Chemistry at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and (according to biographical information on the back cover) has now "turned his attention to exposing fraud in medicine."

I think everyone should read this book, but there is no doubt that many will find it troubling. At the end of Conrad's novel, Marlowe meets with Kurtz's fiancee. When she asks what Kurtz's last words were, he responds: "The last word he pronounced was - your name."
He lies, because, in the end, the truth is too difficult. (It is the "necessity" of this lie that is the "Darkness" referred to in the title.) Dr. Kauffman is a Marlowe who has the courage to tell us what really happened.

Stalin's Secret Pogrom: The Postwar Inquisition of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee (Annals of Communism)

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Powerful, definitive account of Soviet anti-semitism
Important documentation of Soviet horror under Stalin

Stalin's Secret Pogrom: The Postwar Inquisition of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee (Annals of Communism)
Laura E. Wolfson
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300084862

Book Description

In the spring and summer of 1952, fifteen Soviet Jews, including five prominent Yiddish writers and poets, were secretly tried and convicted; multiple executions soon followed in the basement of Moscow's Lubyanka prison. The defendants were falsely charged with treason and espionage because of their involvement in the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, and because of their heartfelt response as Jews to Nazi atrocities on occupied Soviet territory. Stalin had created the committee to rally support for the Soviet Union during World War II, but he then disbanded it after the war as his paranoia mounted about Soviet Jews.

For many years, a host of myths surrounded the case against the committee. Now this book, which presents an abridged version of the long-suppressed transcript of the trial, reveals the Kremlin's machinery of destruction. Joshua Rubenstein provides annotations about the players and events surrounding the case. In a long introduction, drawing on newly released documents in Moscow archives and on interviews with relatives of the defendants in Israel, Russia, and the United States, Rubenstein also sets the trial in historical and political context and offers a vivid account of Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign.

Customer Reviews:

Powerful, definitive account of Soviet anti-semitism.......2004-03-15

Mr. Rubenstein has done an outstanding job as a researcher and writer in giving us this gripping record of Stalin's purge in 1950-52 of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee. The JAC had been active during WWII in organizing international aid to the besieged Soviets. Despite their vigorous efforts in the struggle against the Nazis, some of the most respected Russian Jewish poets, writers, and cultural figures associated with the JAC were eventually imprisoned on blatantly fabricated charges of espionage, then executed in 1952. Using recently-opened soviet files, he and Mr. Vladimir Naumov have carefully and authoritatively documented this sordid chapter in recent Soviet history.

Important documentation of Soviet horror under Stalin.......2003-11-15

This book documents just one of the horrors of the Soviet regime. While Stalin murdered millions of innocent people who were unlucky enough to have been citizens under his rule, this book tells of the way this evil regime turned on fifteen people whose crime was being Jewish and wanting to examine the Nazi atrocities in the portions of the USSR they occupied.

It is a particularly poignant telling because the authors provide us with excerpts from the transcripts of the trial so you hear the victims and their accusers in their own words. These people were destroyed by the system they tried to serve and help largely because Stalin decided to use the Jews and the fear of paranoid Zionist conspiracies as the Nazis had done.

This is a very valuable book and I am glad it is in print. As part of the Annals of Communism series it provides important and permanent testimony of the criminality of the USSR that had been lied about and hidden for too long.

Amazon.com

In 1979, Lesra, a 16-year-old African American boy from an impoverished Brooklyn neighborhood, befriended three thirtysomething Canadians in the borough on business. The boy, whom the Canadians flew to Toronto to visit them, had led a life so far from the comforts of nature that he stumbled trying to walking on a lawn. Charmed by the exuberant and obviously intelligent Lesra (Lazarus), and aware that without decent health care, a safe environment, or an education he would have little or no hope of success in his dangerous neighborhood, this exceptional group of people invited him to live with and be educated by them. Lesra thrived under their watch--but the story of Lazarus and the Hurricane is only beginning.

After finally being taught to read, at age 16, Lesra immerses himself in The Sixteenth Round, the autobiography of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. The African American prizefighter was tried and convicted in 1966 for murders he didn't commit (the book's title refers to his bouts with the legal system as he tries to get himself exonerated). Lesra and his Canadian "family" pursued both a cause and a friendship with Carter that would transform all of their lives. The Canadians are active but not particularly distinct personalities in this book--a group of do-gooders who don't want too much credit. And Lesra, though he is finely described in early chapters, also falls away from the center of the story once Carter comes into view, for the Hurricane is a centrifugal force that cannot be ignored. Widely read and sensitive, but also pleasure-loving and intensely vital, Carter is the reason readers will be unable to forget this story. And they shouldn't. As Carter revives his fight with the support of his new friends and generous lawyers, working through a byzantine maze of court rulings and appeals, the shortcomings of America's legal and prison systems are made painfully clear. The compelling, bittersweet story in Lazarus and the Hurricane should be a call to action. --Maria Dolan

Book Description

This remarkable true story begins in a Brooklyn ghetto when a group of Canadians meets Lesra (Lazarus), an illiterate black teenager who wins their hearts. They end up bringing him to Toronto to help with his education, and while learning to read, Lesra finds a copy of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter's The Sixteenth Round. It was a book destined to change Lesra's life forever, and the lives of his adopted family.

Rubin Carter, the subject of Bob Dylan's song "Hurricane," was a number one middleweight boxing contender who had been wrongfully imprisoned after a white jury found him guilty of the murder of three whites in 1966. A huge public outcry followed the publication of The Sixteenth Round in 1974, culminating in a retrial, which was a virtual reenactment of the original travesty, with Carter receiving the same triple life sentence.

Moved by Lesra's passion, his adopted Canadian family contacted Carter and reinvigorated the legal battle. The inspiring relationship that ensued forms the heart of Lazarus and the Hurricane--a riveting legal drama, fast-paced murder investigation, and above all, a moving account of hope, humanity, and the indomitability of the human spirit.

Customer Reviews:

Best book I have ever read.......2007-08-12

This is the best book that I have ever read. What a devastating, yet inspiration story all at once. The tragidy that society placed on minority groups in the past has to be told and this is told so eloquently. This is a must read for every man, woman, and child in our society today. We must never forget the past so that we do not go there again. This tragedy should never be repeated. The story of what life is all about is in this book. It will touch you like no other book has before.

Good Story ...Told Not So Well.......2005-12-25

I really enjoyed the Ruber Carter biography The 16th Round. Carter is an amazing writer and he has an amazing life story. I figured this book would be sort of a follow up to his book taking us from incarceration in the end of 16th Round to freedom in Lazarus...
Instead of getting to the story like Carter was able to the authors of this book felt the need to give a over done bio on Lesra Martin, who would come to befriend Carter. While it seems their intentions were positive for this kid they tend to paint his pre Canada picture as almost insulting this poor kid because of how he talked and acted, and I found the actual presenting his dialogue in supposed Brooklyn slang to be slightly distracting, and we could have done without the language lesson in "Black English"
Sadly after this intro to the character of Lesra they really fail to mention him much after the story gets going. Lesra is lost to countless stories of trips to see Carter in prison and legal insight.
The authors who are not Americans seem to almost take enjoyment in bashing the American legal system. They offer a very uneducated assumption based point of view on facts and issues I feel they had little understanding of. And while personally I feel Carter was not guilty of the crimes, the authors paint Carter as a tragic hero you should feel bad for, however that is by far over shadowed by their self-righteous telling of the legal battle in which they take the light that is supposed to be on Carter and apply it to them. They seem to want to have the reader view them as these people who are so good hearted and do everything to aide Carter so well that you can't help but love them.

This book is good to get more facts but if you are looking for a follow up to Carter's story it's not here, this is instead an undiverse retelling of Carter's legal battle, less from the point of view of legal experts and more so that of "crusaders" who were out to see Carter free.
I respect what they helped do for Carter but find the way they recall the story to be offensive and at times selfish.

Fair treatment of two great stories.......2005-03-21

This book is not as well-written as some of the other books out there, but the stories it tackles are certainly interesting.

Rubin Carter, the brash young boxer turned local cop fall-guy, has a heartbreaking story that begins the moment he is taken in for questioning in a murder that he didn't commit, and ends years later, when he is finally exonerated as an older man.

Lesra has an even more heartbreaking story; as a pre-teen, he is in a prison of his own, the prison of a miserably poor life in the ghetto that has deprived his good genes of achieving their potential.

The book tracks the arrest and imprisonment of Carter, and the story of Lesra as he is taken in by a group of Canadian liberals who wish to give him a better chance at life. To me, the story of Lesra was even more interesting than the story of Carter. The most compelling scenes in the book happen when Lesra begins to adjust to his new lifestyle, and to transform from a physically stunted, uneducated boy into a sensitive and articulate young man. It gives pause to anyone who has ever said that those who live in poor urban America just need to work a little harder if they want to get out. The book makes the argument that the environment of the ghetto is so harmful that just being born and raised there creates a version of you that is almost incapable of rising above the more obvious obstacles.

Young Lesra becomes interested in Carter after reading his book, and he and his guardians become involved in trying to achieve justice for Carter. After a long and trying bureaucratic battle, they finally help to free Rubin Carter, whose innocence could not be questioned by anyone remotely acquainted with the facts of his case.

As much as I liked the stories, the writing was not very good, and often impaired my enjoyment. The fact that the authors are Lesra's Canadian friends is treated rather awkwardly, and characterizations of all of the main characters is pretty subjective, with the kindest possible spin given to every harsh word or action.

This contributes to a feeling that the authors are not being completely honest about the story; it's not that I think they're lying, but rather that they aren't willing to evaluate everything with a critical and objective eye. In one sense, the most important sense, the idea of six comparatively wealthy do-gooders taking a boy out of the ghetto and then taking the ghetto out of the boy is noble and uplifting. But another way to look at it, as a group of meddlers playing God with a human guinea pig, is never really addressed. It kind of reminded me of My Fair Lady in some ways. It's not that I disagree with the wonderful gift that they have given to Lesra; it's just that I think there's more to the story of how they came to decide to do that particular good act.

Overall, I do recommend this book because it has a lot to say, and to prove, about race relations and injustice in America. The unveiling of the corruption of those who sought to have Carter imprisoned is absolutely and unequivocally shocking. The difficulties that the innocent Carter encounters are just disgusting; he's not an innocent man in prison seeking to establish his innocence, but rather an innocent man in prison whose innocence is well-documented, and who can't seem to get anyone to listen, despite resources and national attention well beyond what most prisoners have. Lesra is equally exemplary of another serious problem; how can we expect good citizenship from America's urban poor when their environment is so suffused with negativity and animalistic treatment, 24 hours a day and seven days a week? The pull-themselves-up-by-the-bootstraps argument never seemed so hollow.

Inspiring Lives.......2005-01-08

Two stories in one book, the first part about a young man named Lesra (short for Lazarus) and then the full history of Rubin Carter known as the Hurricane, a black American framed for a crime he never committed and wrongfully imprisoned. A third influence which shadows both stories is a group of people known as the Canadians, their motivations are not revealed to the reader yet without the actions taken by these Canadians the stories with happy endings told in this book would not have been possible.

Lesra was 15 when he was hired to work at a lab in Brooklyn as part of an government funded summer program for inner city youth, it was there that he met a group of Canadians who were working at the lab on a research project. He was invited to visit them later for a weekend in Toronto and they were shocked at the appalling state of his education, though in high school he was unable to read or write and had an extremely limited vocabulary, didn't know how to read a map and had never run on grass. Lesra moved in with them in Canada and they took over his education, Lesra eventually went to university and his whole story of being rescued from a ghetto life and realizing his full potential in a different environment is uplifting.

As Lesra is discovering whole new worlds through books he comes across, "The Sixteenth Round" by Rubin Carter, and Lesra begins writing to Rubin in prison. The group of Canadians become involved with the Hurricane and the rest of the book is devoted to the freeing of Rubin Carter, the incredible amount of work it took and the history of Carter's case in the courts of New Jersey.

Though the book was engrossing there is too much left hanging, mainly what is the motivation of the Canadians and who are they really? Also the title is somewhat misleading as we don't hear much about Lesra except at the beginning. Finally, if it is true as suggested in other reviews here that Rubin was having a love affair that went on for several years with one of the Canadians, then that would most certainly be a glaring omission giving quite a different view of the same story.

Inspirational Story.......2004-05-04

This story is an inspiration. The idea that good can win over evil. That the poor and uneducated will be taken in and educated and the wrongly accused will be freed is a very nice idea. While I'm sure that many of the gritty details of have been over looked or glossed over, I believe that adds to the inspirational value of the book. Afterall, if this story did not have a happy ending Rubin Carter would still be in jail and we would have all forgotten about him long ago.

Managing the Unknown: A New Approach to Managing High Uncertainty and Risk in Projects

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Managing the Unknown: A New Approach to Managing High Uncertainty and Risk in Projects
Christoph H. Loch , Arnoud DeMeyer , and Michael T. Pich
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471693057

Book Description

Managing the Unknown offers a new way of looking at the problem of managing projects in novel and unknown environments. From Europe's leading business school, this book shows how to manage two fundamental approaches that, in combination, offer the possibility of coping with unforeseen influences that inevitably arise in novel projects:
* Trial-and-Error Learning allows for redefining the plan and the project as the project unfolds
* Selectionism pursues multiple, independent trials in order to pick the best one at the end

Managing the Unknown offers expert guidelines to the specific project mindsets, infrastructures, and management methods required to use these project management approaches and achieve success in spite of unforeseen obstacles. This book equips readers with:
* Causal explanations of why unforeseeable factors in novel projects make traditional project planning and project risk management insufficient
* Directly applicable management tools that help managers to guide novel and high-uncertainty projects
* Real-world case studies of both successful and unsuccessful approaches to managing high uncertainty in novel projects

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A satisfying, quick read
Trial and Error
Highly Satisfying Read
Solomon and Lord are Back
Dolphins' Advocate

Trial & Error
Paul Levine
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440242762
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Book Description

When Steve Solomon is awakened from a sound sleep beside his lover and law partner, Victoria Lord, the last thing he expects is to find himself in a high-speed chase against dolphin-kidnapping ecoterrorists on Jet Skis. But that is what you get when your nephew hangs out at water parks and speaks cetacean–a.k.a. dolphin. By morning, a person is dead and Steve has a new client: none other than one of the animal liberators. There’s just one loophole: Victoria is on the case too—on the opposite side.

No wonder Larry King says that this is “mystery writing at its very best” and Dave Barry says Paul Levine writes a terrific courtroom drama that’s also funny as hell!”

Customer Reviews:

A satisfying, quick read.......2007-10-09

Trial & Error is the fourth installment in Paul Levine's Solomon vs. Lord series of courtroom cozies. Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord are perfect opposites: she's Ivy League and Versace, he's street smart and sneakers, but they get along well enough to share living quarters as well as a legal practice. Rounding out their domestic circle is Steve's semi-autistic twelve-year-old nephew Bobby, whose social awkwardness is compensated for by an impressive intellect and near-perfect memory--not to mention a wicked fast ball. The protagonists' respective single parents--Steve's father, disgraced retired judge Herbert T. Solomon, and Victoria's self-absorbed, society matron mother Irene--take a back seat in this outing, appearing only briefly in back-to-back chapters to offer their advice on the legal duo's personal and professional lives.

There's something fishy about the case on Steve and Victoria's plate this time around--both literally and figuratively. A plot by a bunch of animal rights activists to set free a pair of dolphins ends badly, specifically, in felony murder. As it happens, both Bobby and Steve are on the scene--Bobby because he's become obsessed with dolphins, Steve because Bobby snuck out of the house in the middle of the night to commune with the mammals. But the details of the case don't quite add up, and Steve is forced to figure things out largely without the help of his partner: Victoria, deputized for the purpose by the State Attorney, is prosecuting Steve's client on this one. Can Steve and Victoria's relationship survive their stint as opposing counsel? Can they, as the author puts it, successfully "litigate by day and copulate by night"?

Paul Levine gives us a tightly plotted and interesting mystery in Trial & Error, and he has at the same time removed some of the over-the-top cartoonishness that had been creeping into the series. Meanwhile, Steve and Victoria's relationship progresses just a bit more along the path to happily ever after. And a secondary story involving Bobby, bullies, and baseball is laced deftly into the narrative. The success of the book's denouement hinges on our accepting that Bobby has learned how to communicate with the dolphins at the story's center. This seems far-fetched, but not impossible, so I was able happily to suspend disbelief. A satisfying quick read.

-- Debra Hamel

Trial and Error.......2007-09-14

Trial and Error is another great book in the Solomon vs. Lord Series. Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord are the stars of these books. The pair are lovers, law partners, and complete opposites. Victoria is the sophisticated, dedicated by the book kind of lawyer. Steve is somewhat crude, lackadaisical, and easygoing. I've read several of the previous books in this series and have thoroughly enjoyed them all.

Going into this book, I was a little concerned that it wouldn't achieve my high expectations that I've come to have for books in this series. So far, the relationship and work life of Steve and Victoria has been filled with amazing chemistry, humorous banter, and incredible explosive action that has grown into something that seems like a real couple. My initial concern had been that that this level of brilliance couldn't continue now that Steve and Victoria had finally gotten together. I should never have worried.

In Trial and Error, Steve and Victoria find themselves in a real spot this time. Steve's nephew Bobby has found a new hobby, he's learning dolphin. His dolphin friends become the target of an apparent dolphin-knapping. In the process, the kidnapper becomes the suspect of a murder. Who becomes his lawyer? Steve Solomon, of course. Who is the prosecution? You guessed it, Victoria Lord. You just know it's going to be an interesting trial.

Highly Satisfying Read.......2007-08-28

Paul Levine has managed to capture both the spirit of the court system and the spirit of South Florida in this latest chapter in "Solomon vs. Lord." He manages to capture your attention from the first sentence, and keeps the readers interest until the last page. And along the way he gets you to care about his oddball characters and screwy plotline. It is not a coincidence that the front cover boasts a positive quote from fellow author Carl Hiaasen...

For readers from Miami, it is even more enjoyable when the characters interact in settings that are familiar, with a touch of artistic license regarding names of places. Highly recommended summer read.

Solomon and Lord are Back.......2007-07-13

Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord are back and on different sides of the courtroom. They are at odds on a high profile court case and Victoria has been chosen to prosecute and Steve to defend. It's fun how these two have to try and maintain their relationship while trying not to kill each other in the courtroom. I love these books - the stories are great and the characters are fun!

Dolphins' Advocate.......2007-06-17

Having foiled an animal activist's attempt to free a pair of trained dolphins, Steve Solomon finds himself morally obligated to defend the naive activist against a felony murder charge. As the activist's uncle, D.A. Ray Pincher is conflicted out and calls on his former employee, Victoria Lord, to prosecute. Can Solomon and Lord overcome their professional and personal conflict to get at the truth?

All the Solomon vs. Lord novels show Levine's talent for layering and then unfurling mystery, yet each adventure is memorably different from the last, satisfying returning fans and winning new ones.

The Wrong Man: The Final Verdict on the Dr. Sam Sheppard Murder Case

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THE RIGHT MAN
Fascinating Book
The Sordid Story of the Wrongful Conviction
Very good and thorough
Justice at Last

The Wrong Man: The Final Verdict on the Dr. Sam Sheppard Murder Case
James Neff
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679457194
Release Date: 2001-10-30

Amazon.com

Before O.J. Simpson, Sam Sheppard was probably the most famous man acquitted for murder in the United States. Sheppard was a suburban Cleveland doctor accused of murdering his wife in 1954. The essentials of his case are well known. Sheppard said he was asleep on the couch when he heard his wife scream from the bedroom; he ran up the stairs and was knocked out by her attacker. Before long, Sheppard himself became the leading suspect--and most of the public came to consider him guilty. In The Wrong Man, reporter James Neff offers a detailed and well-told narrative that argues for Sheppard's innocence. Based on 10 years of research and interviews with many of the people whose lives touched the case, from family members to jurors to Sheppard's famous attorney F. Lee Bailey, Neff's account seems convincing. He even proposes a perpetrator, who, Neff says, offered something "close of a confession" during an interview shortly before his death in 1998. There may never be a "final verdict" in the saga of Sam Sheppard, but many readers will think this book effectively closes the case. --John Miller

Book Description

The real-life murder that became known as “The Fugitive” case began before dawn on July 4, 1954, in a Cleveland suburb, when Marilyn Sheppard was viciously beaten to death in her bed. After an inadequate investigation, her husband, Dr. Sam Sheppard, was charged with the crime, and a chain of events was set in motion that has caused more speculation, more publicity, and more cultural myth than any other American murder.

James Neff is an award-winning investigative journalist who, over the past ten years, has assembled the most compete set of Sheppard records in existence, including DNA analyses and interviews with every living person central to the case. He has also gained unprecedented access to crime-scene evidence that shows conclusively that Sham Sheppard did not murder his wife–and points to the man who did. Peeling away the layers of fiction surrounding the case, Neff uncovers the factual events and the key players in a story that until now has been shrouded in mystery. The Wrong Man is a landmark work, a gripping narrative, and indeed the final verdict on America’s most famous unsolved murder

Customer Reviews:

THE RIGHT MAN.......2007-04-03

As others have indicated, those with an interest in this case should also read "Dr. Sam on Trial," by Jack DeSario and William Mason - the prosecutors' side of the third trial. My own impressions are based on reading both books (and the many preceeding books on the subject - all of which are pro-Sam), my training as a pathologist in Cleveland in the 1970's (during which time I made an enduring friendship with Dr. Roger Marsters, blood stain expert at the second and third trials), a good
friendship with Dr. Lester Adelson (who performed the autopsy) and passing acquaintance with Dr. Gerber and Miss Cowan. My wife's father and his sister were backyard neighbors of the victim and her family and the sister dated Sam in high school - once.
In short, Sam Sheppard was a philandering osteopath in a west Cleveland suburb who was, other than his young son, the only known occupant of his house when his wife was bludgeoned to death in their bedroom on July 4th, 1954. The murder weapon was never found and Sheppard always maintained that the real killer was a bushy-headed intruder. He was convicted of 2nd degree murder and then acquitted after serving ten years in the penitentiary. He died (of alcoholism) a few years thereafter. Thirty more years passed and his son then sued the state of Ohio for damages related to wrongful imprisonment - the impetus for this book.
This book was published before the DeSario/Mason account and is most interesting and, perhaps, reliable, in its first part, before the author gets into the second and third trials and his omissions and distortions become evident. Sam's early life brings out a couple of aspects of his personality to me. He seems to have labored under some feelings of inferiority as an osteopath (such was the attitude in those days); after his acquittal, he signed a copy of his ghost-written autobiography as "M.D." (osteopaths are "D.O."). From the stories of his escapades and his own diary of life with his second wife, he also seems to have had a voracious sexual appetite - maybe satyriasis (the male equivalent of nymphomania). As Mr. Neff points out, only the Susan Hayes affair was brought into the legal proceedings - to me, for obvious reasons - why ruin more lives? Mr. Neff describes, as have many others, the campaign in the newspapers (especially the Cleveland Press) to pursue Sam, and yes, that should not have been done; color photographs of autopsies are no longer allowed in court - considered too garish (or too realistic) - but what does that have to do with whether Sam Sheppard was guilty or innocent? The Sheppard "team," from the day of the murder to today, has
on their part had no qualms about casting about for any and all suspects -
and besmirching the reputation of the victim, about whom little or no regret is voiced. Further observations:
1). the rumor about Sam keeping a barrelful of human heads in his garage is true. Lester Adelson gave the Cleveland Society of Pathologists a slide show in 1979, after a made-for-TV movie (George Peppard was Sam)
and this was included in the non-admitted evidence. Sam used them for surgical practice. Does it make him guilty? No. But it tells you about Sam.
2). Retrials after several years often obtain acquittals - prosecution evidence disappears, witnesses forget. It also helps to have a skillful
defense attorney. No surprise about the second trial (which was acquittal)- but the evidence was a lot stronger against Sam that this book indicates, since the jury in 2000 was out only a few hours and found against the Sheppard side, after even more time had passed!
3). Contrary to the implication of this book, ABO typing was not wholly dependent on old tissue forty-six years after the fact. It was done within days of the murder by a meticulous technician (Miss Cowan). Only type O (the victim's type) was found in the murder room. The DNA evidence in this case - first analyzed for this third trial - was rendered useless by years of deterioration and contamination - the Sheppard side really brought nothing new to the table.
4). The scenario fit perfectly with the FBI description of a domestic homicide, which was read to the jury. The prosecution's witness had a supervisor (Douglas) who MAY have disagreed (as often the case, the author makes hearsay statements about this) - why did he not testify?
5). You have to see the color photo of the pillow (DeSario/Mason book) - the black and whites in other books don't show the imprint - there IS an instrument there and it fits with a lamp harp. (The bedside lamp was the probable murder weapon).
6). The absence of a lamp in the murder room was not based solely on the recollection, 46 years old, of the repairman who fixed and returned it to the nightstand. Det. Fred Drenkhan noticed at the time of the murder that there was no lamp next to the telephone at Sam's bedside - where a doctor would have it - and heard from the repairman himself that he had fixed and returned it two days before the murder.
7). Yes, there was not much blood on Sam - suspiciously so. He said he had bent over his wife twice and grappled twice with an intruder! How about changing clothes - and where did his T-shirt go?
8). Mrs. Sheppard's body was exhumed for the third trial. By now the body was skeletonized and massive blunt trauma of the face was found -not evident at the first autopsy. MASSIVE. Someone powerful and in a rage
had delivered thirty or forty blows to her - a crime of passion and by a man (not the luckless female neighbor, also bruited about as a suspect).
9). After his acquittal, Sam autographed a copy of his book, Endure and Conquer. Inspection of the book later found not only his autograph, but also a boldly inscribed "Yes," written on the teaser page, following the book's rhetorical question as to whether "Sam" did it. A guilty conscience! Check the photo of this in the DeSario/Mason account. Then see if YOU buy Mr. Neff's claim that the "yes" was really in answer to the Minneapolis Tribune endorsement that follows it.
10). The police had their suspicions in 1954 about who may have helped Sam stage the scene: crime of passion + burglary (try putting those two together). The DeSario/Mason books adds further evidence about this.
Just about everyone who came in contact with Dr. Sam Sheppard was hurt by it. By all means read this book and find out a little more about him.
Then read the DeSario/Mason one. You'll learn why.

Fascinating Book.......2006-12-21

Really an outstanding book. I am the same age as Sheppard's son and grew up in Ohio and I remember the murder well. Although too young to follow it and later in my college and professional life did not have the time to follow the subsequent trials, it was very interesting to read about it.

If this crime were committed in the last 35 years, Dr. Sam would never have been initially convicted. With the Miranda Act and subsequent advances in DNA and other investigative methods there's no way that a conviction could have ever been obtained, if the trail venue had been changed and the jury sequestered. There was far too much of a rush to judgement by the corner, police, and prosecutor. Being a political animal his ego was bruised and he was out to protect his professional reputation and he showed his pettiness when Dr. Kirk subsequently refuted many of his determinations. There's far too much reasonable doubt to ever convict Dr. Sam. It's shows how the press and the police can railroad a big profile murder case. Not to mention the botched police investigation.

The corner and Dorothy Kilgallen should have Dr. Sam's conviction on their souls. The judge told Kilgallen in a meeting in his chambers before the trial that Sheppard was guilty as hell and that it was a open and shut case. Kilgallen should have disclosed that conversation and the judge should have been removed.

There was a terrible injustice done to the Dr. Sam and his family. It ruined their entire family. His mother committed suicide roughly ten days after the initial trial, and his father died several weeks later. It ruined the lives of his brothers and only child. Also in subsequent trials the prosecutors and police continued to back the conclusions of the police, corner and prosecutor from the original investigation and trial in 1954.

I don't buy the arguments that Ms. Connelly wrote that Sheppard is guilty, which she posted in a review in 2001. It's amazing how the system sticks up for itself.

By the grace of God this terrible injustice could have happened to your or my families. This is a compelling book and a must read if you remember the case. It's hard to put down once you start reading the book.

The Sordid Story of the Wrongful Conviction.......2005-09-08

James Neff grew up in Cleveland during the murder and trials. Those in the Cleveland area believed Dr. Sam was guilty, those living further away were more likely to believe in his innocence (p.xi). Biased coverage by the media can affect people for decades. While this book was being written, the prosecutors tried to commandeer his research (p.xii). The author is a prize-winning journalist and editor, who was a reporter and columnist at the Cleveland 'Plain Dealer'. This very readable book tells about the commercial rivalry between the "Sheppard clan" osteopaths and the allopaths who controlled Cleveland's hospitals. The Sheppard's suburban hospital performed therapeutic abortions, considered as murder to many in Cleveland (p.37).

Part 1 tells of the crime, trial, and conviction of Dr. Sam Sheppard. The county coroner disliked the "Sheppard clan", Dr. Sam was the suspect from the first day (p.16). Marilyn had fought her attacker, she had 15 lacerations on her head and 35 wounds overall (p.18). Important evidence was lost by mistake (p.19). Dr. Sam had physical injuries from a powerful blow to the back of his head (pp.28-29). Dr. Sam's rescue vehicle for car accidents in 1953 had irked the medical establishment (pp.36-37). Stories were leaked to the press to make Dr. Sam appear guilty (pp.39-40). Dr. Sam's family all backed Marilyn when there were problems in their marriage. Dr. Sam had been copying the permissive life style of the rich and famous in Los Angeles (p.48), but Marilyn tolerated Sam's affairs (p.65). There was a trail of blood drops from the kitchen to the cellar, Dr. Sam had no wounds. They was never tested by Mary Cowan, the co-worker and close friend of Coroner Dr. Gerber. People's minds were made up by the stories in the press (p.71). There was no forensic evidence to tie Dr. Sam to the crime (p.91). Possible evidence for an intruder was neglected (p.95)! The local press and court system were convinced of Dr. Sam's guilt (p.127). The prosecutor used Dr. Sam's adulteries as a motive for murder (p.133). The coroner testified that a "surgical instrument" was the murder weapon but there was no factual basis for this claim (pp.142-144). After many days the jury decided on murder second degree (p.166).

Part 2 tells of the appeals to reverse the conviction. Defense lawyer William Corrigan hired Dr. Paul Kirk, the "founding father of criminalistics" (p.174). The prosecution concealed evidence that suggested an intruder (p.175). Kirk found evidence to support Dr. Sam's story (pp.179-184). Coroner Gerber used his political connections to damage Kirk (p.187). The flashlight murder weapon was found in the lake, then neglected by the coroner (p.190). Chapter 22 tells of Richard Eberling's early life. In 1961 Paul Holmes published his book which presented Kirk's findings. Dr. Steve Sheppard was introduced to Francis Lee Bailey, who sued to get Dr. Sam's conviction overturned (Chapter 26). Bailey believed he could win an acquittal (p.242). The Supreme Court overturned the conviction. The retrial resulted in a 'not guilty' verdict because of the blood spatter evidence and the testimony for a third person's blood (p.281); there was reasonable doubt. But Dr. Sam's victory was followed by personal defeats. His surgical skills deteriorated; he also drank. Ariane divorced him, Dr. Sam became a professional wrestler (p.287). His drinking continued until he died of a liver disease (p.289). Chapter 32 tells of the career of Richard Eberling and Oscar B. Henderson. They gained power and influence under one Cleveland mayor. An elderly woman where Eberling lived died form an accident, a fracture like Dr. Sam's (pp.299-300). Later Eberling got a life sentence for murder, forgery, theft, and related crimes (pp.305-306).

Part 3 tells of Neff's investigations. Marilyn's death did not fit the usual profile (p.333). Kirk's old files were found, the blood sample pointed to Eberling, but not uniquely (p.336) Neff explains the "hard facts" why Dr. Sam did not kill Marilyn (Epilogue). [You can look up NY vs Charles Stielow for another example of local prejudice against the facts.]

Very good and thorough.......2004-10-22

Mr. Neff certainly did his homework on researching this case. A very interesting book, I could hardly put it down. I had to skim over the chapter on the last trial, but otherwise, it is a very good book.

Justice at Last.......2003-01-29

The Wrong Man is a gripping and provocative look at the sensational murder trial(s)of Sam Sheppard. While in high school in the 70's, I member first reading about the case in F. Lee Bailey's book 'The Defense Never Rests'. Neff's book takes you behind the headlines of this infamous case and moves forward from the day of the crime and through the various incarnations of the case in the state and federal courts. He looks in depth at the participants and suspects in one of the century's greatest 'unsolved murders.' This case is a clear example of a man and a family destroyed by politicians and the press. These folks refused to let the facts get in the way of a good story. Sheppard's life and reputation were lost because the case was tried in the newspapers and television, instead of the court room. Oddly enough, through three trials in a 'search for truth' justice was never served. It is ironic that Neff's objective review of the case as a journalist and a 'member of the press' may be the closest the Sheppard family ever gets to finding the truth and obtaining justice. This is not simply a regurgitation of the headlines but a probing anatomy of an infamous crime and what happens when a 'good story' over takes the facts, a community, and our system of justice. It also shows why our freedoms guaranteed by the constitution (including the freedom of the press) must be jealously guarded against all who would take them away. I could not put the book down once I started reading it and strongly recommend it to any one who enjoys the true crime genre or reading law related novels. Here, the facts are stranger (and more interesting) than any fiction one could invent.

Wilkie Collins's The Dead Alive: The Novel, the Case, and Wrongful Convictions

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Wilkie Collins's The Dead Alive: The Novel, the Case, and Wrongful Convictions
Wilkie Collins
Manufacturer: Northwestern University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0810122944

Book Description

On the evidence of The Dead Alive, Scott Turow writes in his foreword that Wilkie Collins might well be the first author of a legal thriller. Here is the lawyer out of sorts with his profession; the legal process gone awry; even a touch of romance to soften the rigors of the law. And here, too, recast as fiction, is the United States' first documented wrongful conviction case. Side by side with the novel, this book presents the real-life legal thriller Collins used as his model-the story of two brothers, Jesse and Stephen Boorn, sentenced to death in Vermont in 1819 for the murder of their brother-in-law, and belatedly exonerated when their "victim" showed up alive and well in New Jersey in 1820.

Rob Warden, one of the nation's most eloquent and effective advocates for the wrongly convicted, reconsiders the facts of the Boorn case for what they can tell us about the systemic flaws that produced this first known miscarriage of justice-flaws that continue to riddle our system of justice today. A tale of false confessions and jailhouse snitches, of evidence overlooked, and justice more blinkered than blind, the Boorns' story reminds us of the perennial nature of the errors at the heart of American jurisprudence-and of the need to question and correct a system that regularly condemns the innocent.

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For my part, I did the little I could to make myself useful. With the silent sanction of Mr. Meadowcroft and his daughter, I went to Narrabee, and secured the best legal assistance for the defense which the town could place at my disposal. This done, there was no choice but to wait for news of Ambrose, and for the examination before the magistrate which was to follow. I shall pass over the misery in the house during the interval of expectation; no useful purpose could be served by describing it now. Let me only say that Naomi's conduct strengthened me in the conviction that she possessed a noble nature.

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