What happens when public prosecutors, the most powerful officials in
the criminal justice system, seek convictions instead of justice? Why
are cases involving well-to-do victims often prosecuted more
vigorously than those involving poor victims? Why do wealthy
defendants frequently enjoy more lenient plea bargains than the
disadvantaged? In this eye-opening work, Angela J. Davis shines a
much-needed light on the power of American prosecutors, revealing how
the day-to-day practice of even the most well-intentioned prosecutors
can result in unequal treatment of defendants and victims. Ranging
from mandatory minimum sentencing laws that enhance prosecutorial
control over the outcome of cases, to the increasing politicization of
the office, Davis uses powerful stories of individuals caught in the
system to demonstrate how the perfectly legal exercise of
prosecutorial discretion can result in gross inequities in criminal
justice. For the paperback edition, Davis provides a new Afterword
which covers such recent incidents of prosecutorial abuse as the Jena
Six case, the Duke lacrosse case, the Department of Justice firings,
and more.
Les mer
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780199884278
Publisert
2020
Utgiver
Vendor
Oxford University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter