#Book Review #Courts of Law Not Courts of Justice, by Eric Oberer #Non-Fiction - Gov/Politics #Atmosphere press Publisher

 

My Thoughts and Book Review

Courts of Law Not Courts of Justice brings an extremely enthralling introduction and supreme court cases to his readers explaining the US criminal justice system with all of its morality and flaws. This book is an informative read for law students and attorneys in the criminal justice world to understand the present state of the American Justice System. Eric D Oberer, an experienced former prosecutor in one of the most violent and highest crime cities in America, Baltimore, Maryland explains in his book why justice is insuperably difficult to achieve in courts of law in this country. When people in America expect fairness, recourse, justice, and peace from the American criminal justice system, the system itself is not meant or designed to find justice but frustrates them. Many important protections were included among the first fourteen amendments to the United States Constitution for the reason which lead to the violent overthrow of oppression of the tyrannical King of Great Britain that terrorized the North American colonies in 1776. It is surprising that justice is rarely found in the US courtroom, therefore many citizens take the law into their hands. The author has brought to light the complexities of the US criminal justice system of law first existed greatly keeping in mind the concern to protect innocent people changed with crimes they did not commit. The author also educates and discusses with his readers the definition of rule of law by the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law index as a durable system of laws, institutions, norms, and community commitment that upholds four universal principles: Accountability, Just laws, Open Government, Accessible and Impartial Dispute Resolution. 

The author has highlighted also unjust policing tactics, police brutality, misconduct, racism, and discrimination. Harlem Riots 1964, Tampa Riots 1967, Camden New Jersey 1971, Queens New York Riots 1973, Houston TX Riots 1978, San Francisco CA Riots 1979, Miami Riots 1980, Miami Riots 1989, Los Angeles Riots 1992, Cincinnati Riots 2001, Oakland Riots 2010, New York City Riots 2014, The Missouri Riots 2014, Baltimore Riots 2015, Nationwide protests & Riots 2020. 

The author further explains Disparities in Justice and the Broken Windows Theory quoting:

"The criminal is to go free because the constable has blundered?" - Benjamin Cardoza, New York Court of Appeals Judge (1914-1932 and late Supreme Court Justice (1932-1938); People v Defore, 242 N.Y 13 (1926)

"The criminal goes free if he must, but it is the law that sets him free." - Mapp v Ohio, 367 U.S 643 (1961)

The author teaches a handful of famous criminal cases which helped me being a legal professional to understand which are important to review in providing justice arising from the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteen Amendments. 

I just reviewed the book, Courts of Law Not Courts of Justice, by Eric Oberer, Thanks to NetGalley, Eric Oberer and Publisher Atmosphere Press for an advance copy of my honest Review.

Book Description

What if I told you that the American criminal justice system has never been about, is not set up to seek out, and is not equipped to find, justice –- at least “justice” as understood by most? In many ways, it was designed this way by the Founding Fathers based on Benjamin Franklin’s vision that “it is better a hundred guilty persons should escape than one innocent person should suffer.”

Americans are taught that justice means fairness. They expect it from our legal system. “Equal Justice Under Law” is prominently inscribed on the Supreme Court. Yet law and justice in America are not necessarily the same thing. And they are certainly not applied in equal ways.

The disconnect between these realities and what Americans are taught about justice has led to great strife in our society. But what if everyone grew up understanding the limitations of our justice system, yet understood what it is striving to achieve? Through the Revolutionary War, historic cases, civil unrest, Broken Windows law enforcement, corrupt police and attorneys, and jury bias, the lens through which you see the American justice system is about to change, all as told by former Baltimore prosecutor –- Eric Oberer. It is time for a paradigm shift…

Pub Date 11 Apr 2023 | 

Atmosphere Press Publisher