"A thought-provoking book on how accurately criminal law and its
application reflect our sense of justice...an excellent
text."
--Barry N. Sweet, "The Law and Politics Book Review"
A police trooper inspects a car during a routine traffic stop
and finds a vast cache of weapons, complete with automatic rifles,
thousands of rounds of ammunition, and black ski masks-a veritable
bank robber's kit. Should the men in the car be charged? If so,
with what?
A son neglects to care for his elderly mother, whose emaciated
form is discovered shortly before she dies a painful death. Is the
son's neglect punishable, and if so how?
A career con man writes one bad check too many and is sentenced
to life in prison-for a check in the amount of $129.75. Is this
just?
A thief steals a backpack, only to find it contains a terrorist
bomb. He alerts the police and saves lives, transforming himself
from petty criminal to national hero.
These are just a few of the many provocative cases that Paul
Robinson presents and unravels in Would You Convict?
Judging crimes and meting out punishment has long been an
informal national pasttime. High-profile crimes or particularly
brutal ones invariably prompt endless debate, in newspapers, on
television, in coffee shops, and on front porches. Our very nature
inclines us to be armchair judges, freely waving our metaphorical
gavels and opining as to the innocence or guilt-and suitable
punishment-of alleged criminals.
Confronting this impulse, Paul Robinson here presents a series
of unusual episodes that not only challenged the law, but that defy
a facile or knee-jerk verdict. Narrating the facts in compelling,
but detached detail, Robinson invitesreaders to sentence the
transgressor (or not), before revealing the final outcome of the
case.
The cases described in Would You Convict? engage, shock, even
repel. Without a doubt, they will challenge you and your belief
system. And the way in which juries and judges have resolved them
will almost certainly surprise you.
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