Criminal Law Library Blog

BY:Claire M Germain, Edward Cornell Law Librarian and Professor of Law Cornell University and Director, Dual Degree Programs, Paris & Berlin

Claire Germain is interested in all aspects of legal information, from rare books to digital libraries, and often writes on these topics, most recently "Digitizing the World's Laws: Authentication and Preservation." the topic of this posting. For several years she has been actively advocating for effective measures to bring about authentication and improved preservation of digital law locally, nationally, internationally, and globally.

In the United States we especially appreciate her efforts as AALL President in 2006 when she commissioned an AALL Fifty State Survey, which revealed that a significant number of the state online legal resources were deemed official, but none were authenticated by standard methods. As I write this in 2010, work continues on efforts to adopt the findings and recommendations of this Survey in all fifty states. With her paper "Digitizing the World's Laws: Authentication and Preservation", Claire Germain continues her tradition of advocacy from a global perspective.

David Badertscher

Rather than provide a lengthly discussion we have chosen to highlight the paper by presenting the following excerpts.and let you the reader click on the above link and enjoy reading the entire paper.
_________________________

Abstract:
Many countries now provide online access to statutes, codes, regulations, court decisions, and
international agreements. Digital law issues that have emerged include authentication of official
legal information and preservation for long term access, particularly for born digital legal
information which has no paper equivalent. This article is part of a chapter forthcoming in
“International Legal Information Management Handbook” (Ashgate 2010).
_________________________

Official and Authentic Digital Legal Sources
The terms “official” and “authentic” are sometimes used interchangeably but mean
different things. An online official legal resource is one that possesses the same status as
a print official legal resource. In the United States, for instance, the definition of an
official version of court opinions, statutes, session laws, or regulatory materials is one
“that has been governmentally mandated or approved by statute or rule. It might be
produced by the government, but does not have to be.” (American Association of Law
Libraries 2007) This definition is firmly rooted in the print world. Courts and public
officials turn to official legal resources for authoritative and reliable statements of the
law and require citation to such sources in the documents that come before them. By
itself, an online official legal resource offers no such automatic assurance.

Authenticity refers to the quality and credibility of the document. It means that the
text is provided by competent authority and that it has not undergone any alteration in
the chain of custody.2 An online authentic legal resource is one for which a government
entity has verified the content by to be complete and unaltered from the version approved
or published by the content originator. Typically an authentic text will bear a certificate
or mark certifying that the text is authenticated. The standard methods of authentication
include encryption, especially digital signatures and public key infrastructure (PKI), or
similar technologies.3 Authentication of digital law varies by country; some provide
authentication through a digital signature or PKI infrastructure, others through secure
servers and certificates (Hietanen 2007).
_________________________

Authenticity matters because in an environment where online sources are replacing
official print versions of legal information, citizens need to be able to trust digital
versions of the law, in the same way that they have trusted print. Because the digital
medium is vulnerable to errors in management and control, corruption, and tampering, it
is of utmost importance to make digital legal information not only official but authentic.
What is at stake is the transmission of official documents, "the word of the law," to
future generations (Germain 1999).
_________________________

Conclusion
As legal information systems mature worldwide, authenticity is seen as an essential
issue by some who want to guarantee the integrity of official information. There is a
great role for librarians as the research experts in providing access to legal information
and as custodians of information for the long term, in any format, print or digital. The
successful advocacy efforts of the American Association of Law Libraries in the USA
show that librarians can influence information policy decisions for the benefit of all
citizens. There is a great interest in bringing this advocacy to the international level to
develop international standards, possibly within the International Federation of Library
Associations, a major stakeholder for information policy.

TITLE: JUSTICE BRENNAN
SUBTITLE: Liberal Champion
AUTHORS: Seth Stern & Stephen Wermiel
PUBLICATION DATE: October 4, 2010
PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
PAGE COUNT: 688 pp.
ISBN: 978-0-547-14625-7 (Paper)
PRICE: $35.00

Stern, a reporter for CQ, and Wermiel, a law professor and former WSJ reporter, team up to chronicle the career of US Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, who served on the High Bench during a tumultuous period from 1956 to 1990. Working from a repository of newly-released documents, as well as interviews with friends, family, colleagues, and Justice Brennan himself, the authors show how Brennan staked a liberal claim with the progressive side of the Warren Court during the mid-Twentieth Century, often invoking civil rights and privacy protections for minorities, women, and the working class. Especially revealing and insightful are the authors’ revelations about the inner workings of the Supreme Court, how the Justices arrive at their decisions, and the infrequent, yet riveting, confrontations between Brennan and his conservative counterparts. The book is a historian’s guide to the tactics and strategies behind many of the legal battles of the era over the extent of Constitutional rights and the legal struggles over such contentious issues as desegregation, affirmative action, school prayer, the death penalty, and abortion. Aimed at a scholarly audience; highly recommended for academic and law libraries, as well as larger public libraries.

Philip Y. Blue, New York State Supreme Court Criminal Branch Law Library, First Judicial District, New York, New York

More than a dozen Washington Post journalists spent two years developing Top Secret America, a multimedia presentation put together by compiling hundreds of thousands of public records of government organizations and private sector companies. From these records, the Washington Post identified a web of these organizations, both government and private, that are engaged in top secret work for the government. According to Dana Priest and Matthew M. Arkin, two Washington Post reporters who have written about the Project, these findings amount to "...a Top Secret America hidden from public view and lacking in thorough oversight."

Here are some additional links for those interested in the Washington Post Project:

Introductory Video: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/

Articles by Dana Priest and William Arkn discussing the Top Secret America Project: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/

While the Washington Post was involved in the above project, Andrew M Borene was editing a book The U.S. Intelligence Community Law Sourcebook: A Compendium of National Security Related Laws and Policy Documents, recently published by the American Bar Association. I have not yet read this book but according to material provided by the ABA, "the Washington Post's new multimedia project on national intelligence shows just how intricate the web of agencies and laws in the United States can be, and The U.S Intelligence Community Law Sourcebook can be a great reference for making sense of it."

This book is described as a "complete guide to U.S intelligence community source material, including relevant federal statutes, intelligence authorization acts, executive orders, attorney general and the director of national intelligence guidelines, and proposed significant legislation in the U.S. intelligence community".

From information available, it certainly appears that the combination of the materials available from the Washington Post Top Secret America Project and the Compendium volume published by the ABA together comprise together provide a much needed, even essential, resource for those exploring issues related to "Top Secret America".

David Badertscher

TITLE: THE SUPREME COURT
SUBTITLE: A C-SPAN Book Featuring the Justices in Their Own Words
EDITORS: Brian Lamb, Susan Swain, and Mark Farkas
PUBLICATION DATE: May 4, 2010
PUBLISHER: Perseus Books
PAGE COUNT: 372 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-38648-835-2
PRICE: $28.95

A team of C-SPAN editors has assembled a selection of interviews with current and former U. S. Supreme Court Justices, as well as Court followers, experts, and participants in the judicial process drawn from the fields of law, government, and journalism. Taken together, the interviews provide a historical overview and policy perspective of the Court which is rarely seen in current literature. The Justices pontificate on the history of the Court, its place in the structure of government, and the role of the Court in shaping modern society. Especially revealing are the discussions centered about its inner workings, such as the manner in which cases come before the Court, how they are heard, and how the Justices discuss, debate, and decide their opinions. At the end of the book are many useful reference resources, including biographies, listings, surveys, statistics, and a summary of important decisions and seminal historical events in Supreme Court history. The book is aimed at a general audience and is thus recommended mainly for public and school libraries.

Philip Y. Blue, New York State Supreme Court Criminal Branch Law Library, First Judicial District, New York, New York

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT:

We are never paid to do a review. We never accept money to review a product or service. We invest our own time to review and test products.

A publication announcemenrt from the New York Professional Responsibility Report (NYPRR)

Comparing The New York Rules of Professional Conduct
to The New York Code of
Professional Responsibility
By Roy D. Simon

A collection of ten articles- 138 pages- by Professor Simon on the new New York Rules of Professional Conduct, appearing exclusively in NYPRR and on www.NYPRR.com.

This handbook by Professor Roy Simon contains his exclusive commentary on the differences between the Rules and the outgoing Code. The commentary is built on a Correlation Chart developed by Professor Simon comparing each provision of the Rules with the corresponding provisions of the Code and its ECs.

Professor Simon begins with a Correlation Chart comparing the new Rules to the old Code and proceeds through a collection of brilliant articles dissecting every provision of the Rules.

Complete Handbook: 138 pages, spiral bound… $19.95
__________________________________

Roy D. Simon, Howard Lichtenstein Distinguished Professor of Legal Ethics at Hofstra University School of Law. He served as vice chairman of the NYSBA Committee on Standards of Attorney Conduct (COSAC), the committee which initiated the process by which the new Rules of Professional Conduct were adopted. He is editorial advisor and a monthly contributor to NYPRR.

Top Ten Stories of the week ending May 7, 2010:

Judiciary
Stevens Explains Death Penalty Stance, Bow Ties
May 6, 2010 7:05 am CDT

Plus:
Lawyers Spot Justin Bieber on Flight, But Didn't Recognize Justice Stevens
Kagan Has Her Supreme Court Interview; Short List Said to Be Shorter
Careers
As 'Troubling Indicators' Mount for 2010 Law Grads, an ABA Expert Issues a Warning
May 6, 2010 7:35 am CDT

Plus:
Would-Be Law Student Sets Up Paypal Account, Asks for Tuition Donations
Law Schools
Law Dean Boycotts US News Rankings
May 5, 2010 5:30 am CDT

Careers
Bad News for Laid-Off Associates: BigLaw Is Shunning You, Recruiter Says
May 5, 2010 6:00 am CDT

First Amendment
Comedian Wins Defamation Suit Over Mother-in-Law Jokes
May 5, 2010 7:27 am CDT

Legal Technology
7th Circuit Warns of Dangers of Computers and Tequila, But Gives E-Filer a Pass
May 5, 2010 10:46 am CDT

Constitutional Law
Judge Jails Courtroom Observer for Wearing Raunchy T-Shirt
May 5, 2010 7:01 pm CDT

Business of Law
Insurers Outraged at Law Firm's Suits to Collect Very Small Amounts of Money
May 3, 2010 5:41 pm CDT

Work/Life Balance
List of Top 10 Family-Friendly Law Firms Has Only Four Repeats
May 3, 2010 7:53 am CDT

Attorney Fees
Lehman and GM Bankruptcy Charges: $2,100 for Limo Rides, $48 to Leave a Message

New publication from the American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section
www.abanet.org/crimjust

The State of Criminal Justice 2010

Edited By Myrna Raeder

Find out recent developments and trends in the criminal justice field.

Authors from across the criminal justice field provide essays on topics ranging from white collar crime to international law to juvenile justice. This annual publication examines and reports on the major issues, trends and significant changes in the criminal justice system. As one of the cornerstones of the Criminal Justice Section's work, the publication serves as an invaluable resource for policy-makers, academics, and students of the criminal justice system alike.

The 2010 volume contains 19 chapters focusing on specific aspects of the criminal justice field, with new addition of full text and reports of all of the adopted official ABA policies passed in 2009-2010 that address criminal justice issues.

Regular Price: $29.95
Section Member Price: $24.95

©2010
8 1/2 x 10 - Paperback
360 pages
Product Code:
5090126

TITLE: Capital Punishment on Trial
SUBTITLE: Furman v. Georgia and the Death Penalty in Modern America
AUTHOR: David M. Oshinsky
PUBLICATION DATE: April 14, 2010
PUBLISHER: University Press of Kansas
PAGE COUNT: 160 pp.
ISBN: 978-0-7006-1711-1 (Paper)
978-0-7006-1710-4 (Cloth)
PRICE: $14.95 (Paper)
$29.95 (Cloth)

Oshinsky , a Pulitzer-prize winning historian at the University of Texas, summarizes the tangled web of legal arguments for and against the death penalty in modern American justice. He focuses on the brief period of time during the 1970s in which capital punishment was banned by the U. S. Supreme Court, how the prohibition occurred, and how it ended as suddenly as it began. Highlighting the case that brought about the temporary halt to executions, the author details the appeal of William Henry Furman and how a deeply-divided Supreme Court concluded that a process so pervasively riddled with discrimination and arbitrary standards violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. Oshinsky concludes that it was exactly this determination by the Court in 1972 that precipitated the reinstatement of the death penalty four years later by requiring the elimination of capricious and discriminatory standards from state death penalty statutes. The author describes the current Supreme Court as bitterly divided over the concept at a conceptual level, as Justices continue to struggle with the legal implications of a process that attempts to impose uniform standards and guidelines while at the same time pursues what Oshinsky believes to be an arbitrary, and thereby imperfect, formula for death that is the hallmark of the past. He argues that the issue is far from settled, as a stream of reports and findings portray the current system as racially biased, weighted against the poor, marred by substandard defense attorneys, expensive to maintain, and subject to intolerable error. The book is aimed at an academic audience and is thus recommended mainly for college, university, and law libraries.

Philip Y. Blue, New York State Supreme Court Criminal Branch Law Library, First Judicial District, New York, New York

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT:

We are never paid to do a review. We never accept money to review a product or service. We invest our own time to review and test products.

@ the Center is the flagship e-newsletter of the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). It highlights major projects, publications and conferences related to the work of NCSC.. Even though this newsletter is of redcent vintage (still Volume 1) it has already caught the attention of many in the judiciary. If you are interested in more information click here. Below are highlights of the March 2010 issue.

Volume 1, Issue 6
March 2010

Budget resource center expanded
Interactive maps show extent of cost cutting across the country

Fiscal problems continue to plague state court systems across the country. Cost-cutting measures vary from state to state, and a set of new interactive maps on the National Center for State Courts' Web site helps show which jurisdictions are being forced to make which cuts. This new addition to the Budget Resource Center (BRC) includes information on eight specific strategies adopted by the states, including furloughs, court closures, and hiking filing fees. The BRC is updated regularly with new reports and breaking news. Check back frequently to stay up to date on the latest.

Election experts give online guidance
NCSC adds Web resource center for judicial campaign oversight committees

Just in time for the 2010 elections, the National Ad Hoc Committee on Judicial Campaign Oversight - staffed by the National Center - has launched a new set of Web-based resources to aid those contemplating the establishment of such a committee. Oversight committees encourage fair play and honesty in judicial election campaigns - and also can highlight unfair campaign practices or misleading advertising when campaign rhetoric soars over the top. The new resource center includes video excerpts from presentations and panel discussions; interviews with leaders of judicial campaign oversight committees across the country; and other updated materials and resources, such as sample documents and planning tools based on common and effective practices for oversight committees.

California court leader receives Distinguished Service Award
Thirty-year career marked by service, commitment to quality of justice

Ronald G. Overholt, chief deputy director of the California Administrative Office of the Courts, has received a 2009 Distinguished Service Award, one of the premiere recognitions given by the National Center. During his tenure with the California AOC, Overholt has played a key role in achieving greater financial stability for the California Judicial Branch and has helped build an administrative, technological, and physical infrastructure that will enable the judicial branch to continue providing fair and equal justice despite future fiscal concerns. He also has worked with the Conference of Chief Justices, Conference of State Court Administrators, and National Association for Court Management to provide training sessions on the most recent innovations in court management.

NCSC officials join Lebanese judiciary at courthouse opening
Project includes administration reforms, training for court staff

Less than a year after a project aimed at modernizing the Beirut Judgment Enforcement Court began, the renovated court building was inaugurated during a March 2 ceremony in Beirut, Lebanon. NCSC President Mary C. McQueen and William G. Kaschak, vice president of the National Center's International Programs Division, traveled to Beirut for the ribbon cutting, which was hosted by Lebanese Minister of Justice Ibrahim Najjar. The courthouse renovation is part of a three-year, $8.2 million United States Agency for International Development project that is being implemented by the National Center and includes court administration reform and personnel training.

Free curriculum helps judges reduce number of repeat offenders
Program materials available online

With recidivism rates of felony offenders at unprecedented levels - nearly 60 percent according to a 2009 NCSC and Pew Center on the States report - the National Center has created a curriculum designed to help trial judges develop sentencing practices to reduce the risk of repeat offenders. Recidivism contributes to the escalating cost of state corrections, however, evidence-based sentencing has become a proven method to counter high recidivism levels. Some examples of evidence-based sentencing include focusing corrections resources on medium- and high-risk offenders rather than low-risk offenders who are not likely to reoffend; targeting services to offender characteristics that have been proven to best predict future criminality; and using swift, certain, and graduated sanctions for probation violations. The free model curriculum, titled "Evidence-Based Sentencing to Improve Public Safety and Reduce Recidivism," is available online.

The National Center for State Courts
300 Newport Avenue Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185-4147, USA

http://www.ncsconline.org/Newsletters/thecenter/

Volume 2 Number 1
January 7, 2010

State Courts & the Economy is an e-newsletter published by the National Center for State Courts.

Contents of this issue:

Courts Starting to Bear the Brunt of the Recession
Close Some Courthouses, But Build New Ones, Too?
Budget Cuts Go to Court
State-by-State Budget News

By Jan M. Spaeth Ph.D.

"These DVDs provide real assistance to counsel in guiding witnesses through what can be a scary prospect. Not preachy or intimidating, these videos set just the right tone in providing guidance while inspiring confidence. After watching one of these programs, a witness should be much better prepared."
--Philip R. Higdon, Esq., Perkins, Coie, Brown & Bain, P.A.

ABA Descriptive Material:

Now, one of the nation's leading authorities on jury research and witness preparation, nationally-recognized litigation consultant Jan Mills Spaeth, Ph.D., has created two essential DVDs to thoroughly instruct your witnesses in preparing for their upcoming depositions and testimony.

Your witness only needs to watch these DVD's to be fully prepared for their trial or deposition! This 2-DVD set contains one 45 minute DVD focused exclusively on preparing the witness for a deposition, and another for preparing witnesses for trial. A take-home booklet will further reinforce the lessons learned.

Both feature sample questions, positive and negative responses--some filmed in an actual courtroom setting, and stress the essentials for a credible, convincing testimony. If you need to prepare witnesses for trial or deposition, this essential tool will save you time and money--and will help you make sure it's done right!

Product Details:

Regular Price: $399.95
ABA Member Price: $379.95

©2008 - 2 DVD Set
plus 2 booklets

Product Code:
1620395P

by Paul A. Batista, Esq.

Eligible for Free Standard Shipping on U.S. Prepaid Orders

List Price: $280.00 / ISBN: 9780735567825 / Looseleaf: 792 pages

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

According to Aspen Publications, Civil RICO Practice Manual, Third Edition, serves as a comprehensive resource to which attorneys for plaintiffs and defendants, judges, professors and students turn for information encompassing the full array of issues relating to RICO. An analytic and practical resource of high value to any attorney practicing in this area, Civil RICO Practice Manual provides comprehensive coverage of the Act and its various judicial interpretations, while at the same time taking the litigator through all aspects of RICO-based litigation—from the complaint, through trial and appeal. The following features are also emphasized.

This resource supplies the forms and models you need to practice

Provides model complaints and other forms you need to prosecute or defend a claim

Keeps you current with the latest applications or bases for civil RICO claims including copyright infringement

Delivers the latest case law and analysis on RICO, including U.S. Supreme Court cases

Facilitates your understanding of special issues unique to civil RICO, including the Person/Enterprise standard, which holds persons employed by the enterprise responsible for damages caused by prohibited RICO activities

This new Third Edition of Civil RICO Practice Manual adds an important dimension: a meaningful discussion of the criminal uses and scope of RICO. The language of the RICO statute applies equally to civil cases and criminal indictments. As a result, U.S. Supreme Court and appellate decisions rendered in criminal RICO cases almost invariably have meaning for civil racketeering litigation.

Posted on behalf of the Court History and Public Education division of the Indiana Supreme Court. Please contact Ms. Sarah Hachey with your requests.

The Indiana Supreme Court is pleased to announce the addition of two new
FREE* publications to the Indiana Supreme Court Legal History Series.

The Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850-1851 - In his 1931
master™s thesis, author and noted Indiana historian Donald F. Carmony (1910-
2005) described and interpreted the events leading to the adoption of
Indiana™s second state constitution. The publication includes Carmony™s
original text, primary source materials identified by Carmony and an index and
updated bibliography created by the editors.

Justice Shall Be Administered Freely - This book is a collection of
State of the Judiciary addresses delivered by Chief Justice Norman F.
Arterburn & Chief Justice Richard M. Givan, 1973-1987.

*Free copies of all Indiana Supreme Court Legal History Series books are
available for libraries, teachers, and all other educational organizations.

Previously published titles in the Indiana Supreme Court Legal History Series:

Isaac Blackford: The Indiana Blackstone - a biography about one of
the leading figures in Indiana™s early judiciary. Blackford served on the Indiana
Supreme Court from 1816-1853.

In Memoriam: Glimpses from Indiana's Legal Past - a volume that
memorializes the deeds and accomplishments of men who sat on the Indiana
Supreme Court and other important Hoosiers including President Abraham
Lincoln and Vice President Thomas Hendricks.

Justice Shall Be Administered Freely - a collection of State of the
Judiciary addresses delivered by Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard, 1988-2004.

If you would like a free copy of one of our new publications, please send
requests, including email contact and delivery address, to
shachey@courts.state.in.us.

Indicate exactly which titles you would like to receive.

We do not charge for these books, but we do request that you please check
your shelves before requesting copies of our older publications to avoid
duplication.

Please feel free to forward this message to your colleagues, school librarians,
and local libraries.

Thank you,

Dr. Elizabeth R. Osborn
Asst. to the Chief Justice for Court History and Public Education

Kim L. Schwant
Reference/Catalog Librarian
Indiana Supreme Court Library
200 W. Washington St., Rm. 316
Indianapolis, IN 46204
kschwant@courts.state.in.us
(317) 232-2557

In his posting on the Blog Critics Culture Blog, William Lambers explains that bloggers can help Haiti by taking action through spreading the work about the suffering in that country and by showing how others can help. Although Lambers is referring in his post primarily to the World Food Programme, his words aply to blogging assistance in promoting other programs as well.

You may also be interested in the video from the New York State Comptroller regarding Haiti at http://www.osc.state.ny.us/video/haitian_relief.wmv

U.S. White House: Haiti Earthquake Relief

A report prepared by New York Governor David Paterson's Task Force on Transforming Juvenile Justice released in December 2009. It "shines a harsh light" on the problems in New York's prisons for juvenile offenders

According to this Report, " the problems are so acute that the state agency overseeing the prisons has asked New York's family court judges not to send youths to any of them "unless they are a significant risk to public safety," recommending instead alternatives like therapeutic foster care."

This Report comes three months after a federal investifgation found that excessive force was routinely used at the four New York prisons, "resulting in injuries as severe as broken bones and shattered teeth."

Although we are not authorized to include in this posting a draft copy we have seen of the Report, the following is an excerpt from the Executive Summary>

Continue reading "Charting A New Course: A Blueprint for Transforming Juvenile Justice in New York State" »

An American Bar Association publication sponsored by the ABA Criminal Justice Section

The State of Criminal Justice 2009

"Authors from across the criminal justice field provide essays on topics ranging from white collar crime to international law to juvenile justice. This annual publication examines and reports on the major issues, trends and significant changes in the criminal justice system. As one of the cornerstones of the Section's work, the publication serves as an invaluable resource for policy-makers, academics, and students of the criminal justice system alike. The 2009 volume contains 21 chapters focusing on specific aspects of the criminal justice field, with new addition of full text and reports of all of the adopted official ABA policies passed in 2008-2009 that address criminal justice issues".

Detail:

Product Code: 5090122
Editor: Myrna Raeder
Publication Date: April 20, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60442-336-5
Page Count: 344
Trim Size: 8½ x 11 - Paperback
Sponsoring Entities: Criminal Justice Section
Topics: Criminal Law
Format:
Pricing: $29.95 (Regular)
$24.95 (Criminal Justice Section) ABA Members,

The Journal:

Criminology is a journal, published quarterly, devoted to crime and deviant behavior. Disciplines covered include sociology, psychology, design, systems analysis, and decision theory. Major emphasis is placed on empirical research and scientific methodology. The journal's content also includes articles which review the literature or deal with theoretical issues stated in the literature as well as suggestions for the types of investigation which might be carried out in the future. It is published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. on behalf of the American Society of Criminology.

Contents of Current Issue:

Online ISSN: 1745-9125 Print ISSN: 0011-1384
Criminology
Volume47, Issue4,2009.

© 2009 American Society of Criminology

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REVIEWERS LIST

iii-v Reviewers list

Published Online: 8 Dec 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2009.00167.x

ARTICLES IN DECEMBER 2009 ISSUE

1009-1043 THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF EXECUTIONS ON HOMICIDES: DETERRENCE, DISPLACEMENT, OR BOTH?*
KENNETH C. LAND, RAYMOND H. C. TESKE JR., HUI ZHENG
Published Online: 8 Dec 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2009.00168.x

1045-1090 PUNISHING THE "MODEL MINORITY": ASIAN-AMERICAN CRIMINAL SENTENCING OUTCOMES IN FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS*
BRIAN D. JOHNSON, SARA BETSINGER
Published Online: 8 Dec 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2009.00169.x

1091-1129 "MIGHT NOT BE A TOMORROW": A MULTIMETHODS APPROACH TO ANTICIPATED EARLY DEATH AND YOUTH CRIME*
TIMOTHY BREZINA, ERDAL TEKIN, VOLKAN TOPALLI
Published Online: 8 Dec 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2009.00170.x

1131-1166 SUPERMAX INCARCERATION AND RECIDIVISM*
DANIEL P. MEARS, WILLIAM D. BALES
Published Online: 8 Dec 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2009.00171.x

1167-1200 GIRLS, BOYS, AND SCHOOLS: GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SCHOOL-RELATED FACTORS AND STUDENT DEVIANCE*
ALLISON ANN PAYNE
Published Online: 8 Dec 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2009.00172.x

1201-1222 CRIMINAL BEWARE: A SOCIAL NORMS PERSPECTIVE ON POSTING PUBLIC WARNING SIGNS*
P. WESLEY SCHULTZ, JENNIFER J. TABANICO
Published Online: 8 Dec 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2009.00173.x

1223-1264 LAND USE AND VIOLENT CRIME*
THOMAS D. STUCKY, JOHN R. OTTENSMANN
Published Online: 8 Dec 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2009.00174.x

1265-1293 PUBLIC COOPERATION WITH THE POLICE IN GHANA: DOES PROCEDURAL FAIRNESS MATTER?*
JUSTICE TANKEBE
Published Online: 8 Dec 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2009.00175.x

1295-1329 CO-OFFENDING AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DELINQUENT CAREER*
PETER J. CARRINGTON
Published Online: 8 Dec 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2009.00176.x

1331-1368 ASSESSING THE EXTENT OF CRIME DISPLACEMENT AND DIFFUSION OF BENEFITS: A REVIEW OF SITUATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION EVALUATIONS*
ROB T. GUERETTE, KATE J. BOWERS
Published Online: 8 Dec 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2009.00177.x

Title: The Ethics of Representing Organizations: Legal Fictions For Clients

Authors: Lawrence J. Fox
Susan R. Martyn

Publisher: Oxford University Press (New York)

Date of Publication: 2009

Pages: 440

Price: $125.00

The authors (Lawrence J. Fox, a partner at Drinker Biddle & Reath, specializes in corporate and securities litigation; Susan J. Martyn, Stoepler Professor of Law and Values at the University of Toledo College of Law, teaches Legal Ethics, Bioethics & Law, and Health Care Provider Liability) both possess expertise and publication history in the field of legal ethics. In this volume the authors attempt to provide a handbook for the representative of organizations to better assist the practitioner in better representing the client and steering clear of ethical problems.

By inserting New Yorker Magazine cartoons relating to attorneys, the authors implicitly recognize the common place public perception of attorneys being ethically-challenged or less than ethically scrupulous in their roles as zealous advocates. In this manner, they inject some humor into a relatively arid subject. On a more serious note, the authors provide a valuable resource to practitioners representing various types of organizations. Factual scenarios are presented in a question and answer format that is conversational in nature and written in non-academic prose. The text is comprehensively footnoted with case law, Restatement, and Model Rule references. Appendices include selected state rules of professional conduct and selected sections of the restatement of laws.

This book is recommended for practitioners, law libraries, and academic libraries.

Theodore Pollack, Sr. Law Librarian, NY County Public Access Law Library

The American Bar Association (ABA), Criminal Justice Section has just published its Fall 2009 Newsletter, Volume 18 Issue 1 Fall 2009. This issue covers a variety of topics including: Practice Tips - Sexting: Balancing the Law and Bad Choices, Three Questions with Charles Hynes, Section Member News, New Books, News from the Field, and Ethics. Also included is a reminder that the ABA Criminal Justice Section Fall Meeting will be held in Washington DC November 5-8, 2009.

Title: Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln

Author: John Stauffer

Publisher: Twelve (Hatchett Book Group)

Price: $30.00

ISBN: 13-0978-0-446-58009-0

Pages: 432

Abraham Lincoln has been written about extensively and ranks as one of the most prolifically written about subjects in print. Frederick Douglass is a much lesser written about historical figure. This book provides an interesting structure by providing a parallel framework in which the lives of these two individuals are recounted in individual chapters. This volume by John Stauffer (chair of the history of American civilization and professor of English at Harvard University) is written in a fluid and compelling manner that makes for an interesting and illuminating reading experience.

Abraham Lincoln's life story is particularly well known and inspiring and is the fabric of the American story and dream personified. His rise from humble origins in the American heartland, growing up on a farm, becoming a workman and store clerk to become a self-educated, highly successful attorney representing the largest and most profitable clients would be an American success story in itself. But he compounded these facts by entering a career in politics and rising to the American presidency-- the highest office in the land where he provided critical political and military leadership in preserving the union.

Similarly inspiring and perhaps of biblical proportions are the facts of Frederick Douglass' life. Born into the bondage of slavery, he escaped the brutality of a slave's life in the South to become an educated and respected publisher as well as public personage and orator. He became a famed abolitionist, orator, and writer. His most famous work is the Autobiography of Frederick Douglass.

The primary weakness of this book is the fact that there were only a few meetings between Lincoln and Douglass. The stories of their lives are fascinating. Lincoln had a profound impact on the course of history in his political and military leadership role as President. However, the fact that there were few recorded meetings hinders the joining of the two figures in one volume, but nonetheless it is clear that the events of that time period joined the personal and public stories of both Lincoln and Douglass in an uncommon and perhaps uniquely American way.

Lincoln's life was cut all too short by the assassin John Wilkes Boothe. His place in history was ensured prior to his assassination, but as a result he became an almost sainted figure. The Shakespearean lines with which Robert Kennedy paid tribute to his slain brother President John Fitzgerald Kennedy could equally apply to Lincoln: "When he shall die take him and cut him out into stars and he shall make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun." This volume shines a different type of light on the lives of these two important American citizens and perhaps is most significant in highlighting and more highly publicizing Douglass' life by linking him more closely with Lincoln.

This book is recommended for public and academic libraries as well as special libraries with an orientation focusing on American history.

Theodore Pollack, Sr. Law Librarian, NY County Public Access Law Library