What impressed me most about this book was the level of access the author was able to get. With the content neither glorifying the state or assuming everyone was innocent, it was interesting to see how many stories came from only a year in this one courtroom.
One thing this book does a good job of is showing how important it is to have a fair justice system. The other thing this book does is to show you how awful the state does at ensuring that it is fair or just – it is barely a system. It is clear from this book that the drug war is lost and worthless.
There are varying stories throughout this book from the normal drug cases to the high profile hate crimes and murder cases. The author does a good job of picking cases that show the overall view of this particular court. At times it either has a few too many people it takes the perspective from or stories that seem to repeat.
However, this was a really good book that does give a behind the scene look at a typical city courthouse. The saddest part is that reform, which most people clearly see is needed, will most likely never come. Final Grade – B+