Capital defense : inside the lives of America's death penalty lawyers / Jon B. Gould and Maya Pagni Barak.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gould, Jon B., author.

Barak, Maya Pagni, author.

Contributor:

Class of 1924 Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States.

Capital punishment--United States.

Capital punishment.

Defense (Criminal procedure)--United States.

Defense (Criminal procedure).

Physical Description:

v, 287 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : New York Unviersity Press, [2019]

Summary:

What motivates someone to make a career out of defending some of the worst suspected killers of our time? In 'Capital Defense', Jon B. Gould and Maya Pagni Barak give us a glimpse into the lives of lawyers who choose to work in the darkest corner of our criminal justice system: death penalty cases. Based on in-depth personal interviews with a cross-section of the nation's top capital defense teams, the book explores the unusual few who voluntarily represent society's "worst of the worst." With a compassionate and careful eye, Gould and Barak chronicle the experiences of American lawyers, who-like soldiers or surgeons-operate under the highest of stakes, where verdicts have the power to either "take death off the table" or put clients on "the conveyor belt towards death." These lawyers are a rare breed in a field that is otherwise seen as dirty work and in a system that is overburdened, under-resourced, and overshadowed by social, cultural, and political pressures. Examining the ugliest side of our criminal justice system, 'Capital Defense' offers an up-close perspective on the capital litigation process and its impact on the people who participate in it.

Contents:

Behind the curtain : "if people mess up, my client may die"

A cruel and unusual job : "you've got someone's life in your hands"

Race and identity : "it's not always what we think"

The client : "everyone is more than the worst thing they ever did"

Gender dynamics : "I'm your lawyer"

The toll : "you can't just turn it off"

Defending the defenders : "I've helped the lowest of the law. ... I'm proud of doing that".

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Class of 1924 Book Fund.

ISBN:

9781479873753

1479873756

OCLC:

1039210652