Guilty? : crime, punishment, and the changing face of criminal justice

An Extraordinary Book . . . That Could Well Be Mind-blowing To The Thoughtful Young Reader Who Is Ready To Move Beyond The Black-and-white Notion That A Particular Act Is Wrong Simply Because It Is Illegal. --richie Partington When Does Strategy Become Cheating? Can Good Luck Be Theft? Is Killing Always A Crime? Real-world Cases Show There Are Often No Clear-cut Answers In This Fascinating Look At The Ever-evolving World Of Law And Order, And Crime And Punishment. When Some People Kill, They Are Jailed Or Even Executed. When Others Do, They Are Celebrated As Heroes. Though This Example Is Extreme, It’s Just One Of Many That Author And Lawyer Teri Kanefield Explores In Depth. From An Examination Of What Constitutes A Crime, Why And How We Punish People Who Commit Crimes, How The Government Determines These Rules, To How Citizens Have Reacted When They Feel Laws Aren’t Fair, This Book Will Challenge Young Readers’ Thinking About Law And Order, Crime And Punishment, While Giving Them Specific Legal Cases To Ponder Along The Way. For Ages 12 And Up, This Examination Of The Legal System Will Also Include Historical Photography To Help Bring Each Legal Case To Life. Part I: Deciding what behavior to criminalize Crimes of opportunity: theft : or good luck? Another kind of bank robbery Cheating? or lucking into a good deal? Race: changing attitudes and laws Deciding What is a danger to society Killing is a crime, except when it isn't Part II: Punishment Retribution : "An eye for an eye" Deterrence, or a warning to all The conveyor belt of justice Part III: Due process and the presumption of innocence Dolly Mapp and unreasonable searches The right to counsel Conveyor belts and obstacle courses Conclusion: Thinking like a lawyer. Offers an overview of crime and the American criminal justice system, using extensive examples of real cases to illustrate difficult questions about what is considered criminal and what punishment is appropriate for different types of crimes. An examination of the legal system, including what constitutes a crime, why and how we punish people who commit crimes, how the government determines these rules, and how citizens react when they feel laws aren't fair