Synopses & Reviews
For two hundred years, the constitutionality of capital punishment had been axiomatic. But in 1962, the largely forgotten Justice Arthur Goldberg and his clerk, Alan Dershowitz, dared to suggest otherwise, launching an underfunded band of civil rights attorneys on a quixotic crusade. In 1972, in a most unlikely victory, the Supreme Court struck down Georgia’s death penalty law, and legal experts hailed the end of executions in America.
The response in most states was mandatory sentencing. And four years later, after a brilliant oral argument by Robert Bork, the Supreme Court ended up reversing itself. Drawing on interviews with law clerks and litigators, and on four years of archival research, A Wild Justice is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at the Court, the justices, and the political complexities of the most racially charged and morally vexing issue of our time — one that offers extraordinary insights into America itself.
Review
"A Wild Justice is sensational — a revealing and illuminating behind-the-scenes look at one of the most important chapters in the history of the Supreme Court. After reading it, you may never look at the death penalty, or the justices, the same way again." Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court and The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court.
Review
"With a powerful story and an exceptional cast of characters — including Arthur Goldberg, Alan Dershowitz, and Robert Bork at their best — A Wild Justice is a rare achievement. At once entertaining and deeply instructive, it is a piece of legal history that grapples brilliantly with capital punishment, one of the fundamental issues of American justice." Sean Wilentz, author of The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln
Synopsis
Instead, states responded with a swift and decisive showing of support for capital punishment. As anxiety about crime rose and public approval of the Supreme Court declined, the stage was set in 1976 for Gregg v. Georgia, in which the Court dramatically reversed direction.
A Wild Justice is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at the Court, the justices, and the political complexities of one of the most racially charged and morally vexing issues of our time.
Synopsis
Drawing on never-before-published original source detail, the epic story of two of the most consequential, and largely forgotten, moments in Supreme Court history.
About the Author
Evan J. Mandery is a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. A former capital defense attorney, he is the author of five previous books. He lives in Manhasset, New York.