Kevin Davis

Defending the Damned

Inside a Dark Corner of the Criminal Justice System

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Chicago was the nation's deadliest city in 2001, recording 666 homicides. For lawyers in the Cook County Public Defender's Office Murder Task Force, that meant a steady flow of new clients. Eight out of ten people arrested for murder in Chicago are represented by public defenders. They're assigned the most challenging and seemingly hopeless cases, yet they always fight to win. One of those lawyers is Marijane Placek, a snakeskin boot-wearing, Shakespeare-quoting nonconformist whose courtroom bravado and sharp legal skills have made her a well-known figure around the courthouse. When an ex-convict was arrested on charges of killing a Chicago police officer that deadly year, Placek got the high-profile case, and her defense forms the hub around which the book's narrative revolves. Veteran journalist Kevin Davis reveals the compelling true story of a team of battle-scarred lawyers fighting against all odds. Unflinching, gripping, and full of surprises, Defending the Damned is an unforgettable human story and engaging courtroom drama where life and death hang in the balance. Davis explores the motives that compel these lawyers to come to work in this dark corner of the criminal justice system and exposes their insular and often misunderstood world. This groundbreaking work comes at a time when the country has seen how wrongful convictions have slipped through the system, that innocent people have been sent to death row, and that some police have lied or coerced suspects into confessing to crimes they did not commit. Such flaws drive these public defenders even harder to do their jobs, providing scrutiny to a long ignored and often broken system. Davis's reporting offers an unvarnished account of public defenders as never seen before. A powerful melding of courtroom drama and penetrating truecrime journalism, Defending the Damned is narrative nonfiction at its finest.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Atria
• Seitenzahl: 328
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. September 2008
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 216mm x 140mm x 20mm
• Gewicht: 464g
• ISBN-13: 9780743270946
• ISBN-10: 0743270940
• Artikelnr.: 23266034

Autorenporträt

Kevin Davis began writing short stories growing up and wrote his first novel at age 17. He was accepted into the writing program at university. He took a break from writing to pursue a career in IT but continued to write and journal about his experiences. He began writing erotic fiction based loosely on his journals and reminiscences for blogs and on Reddit. With the encouragement of his fans, he expanded these stories into full-length novels. His character-driven stories propel the reader into worlds of steamy sex and forbidden desires, leaving readers demanding more. You'll not only find hot man on man sex in his stories, you'll also find touching stories and compelling, relatable characters. Contact the author at [e-mail]