Mistrial

A searing and entertaining manifesto on the ills of the criminal justice system from two of America's most prominent defense attorneys. From the rise of the Internet and the twenty-four-hour news cycle to the television ratings bonanza of the O. J. Simpson trial, a perfect storm of media coverage has given the public an unprecedented look inside the courtroom, kicking off popular courtroom shows and TV legal commentary that further illuminate how the criminal justice system operates. Or has it? In Mistrial, Mark Geragos and Pat Harris debunk the myths of judges as Solomon-like figures, jurors as impartial arbiters of the truth, and prosecutors as superethical heroes. Mistrial draws the curtain on the court's ugly realities - from stealth jurors who secretly swing for a conviction to cops who regularly lie on the witness stand to judges trading justice for sex. Geragos and Harris are legal experts and prominent criminal defense attorneys who have worked on everything from celebrity media circuses - having represented clients such as Michael Jackson, Winona Ryder, Scott Peterson, Chris Brown, Susan MacDougal, and Gary Condit - to equally compelling cases defending individuals desperate to avoid the spotlight. Shining unprecedented light on what really goes on in the courtroom, Mistrial is an enjoyable, often very funny look at a system that rarely lets you see behind the scenes. 'A win- engaging, enlightening, and entertaining . . . Provides a salutary reminder that criminal-defense lawyers, far from being criminals themselves, play a vital role in our adversarial system of justice.' The Wall Street Journal 'Two high-profile defense lawyers pull back the curtain on the US criminal justice system and find much to criticize . . . A no-holds-barred indictment of the system, filled with memorable anecdotes and accessibly written.' Kirkus Reviews