Book Description

In The Craft of Justice, more than three hundred judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys candidly and often with disarming frankness discuss the fascinating dynamics of the American criminal court system. In one of the largest, most intensive comparative investigations ever undertaken of America's criminal courts, the authors studied nine felony courts in both similar and dissimilar communities in three states. The results of this research provided an unparalleled opportunity to examine the contextual and environmental conditions that shape the efforts of individuals who use their personal influence to determine how felony cases are processed. The Craft of Justice explains how criminal court policies reflect tensions or harmony among judges on the bench, and it systematically identifies and illustrates patterns of dominance and conflict within courthouse communities. Craft as work brings the courtroom into focus as a place where attorneys and judges adapt to their institutional settings and seek to promote their careers. In The Craft of Justice, Roy B. Flemming, Peter F. Nardulli, and James Eisenstein have provided a thought-provoking and controversial analysis of the American criminal court system. The candor with which prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys discussed their courtroom craft provides for an interesting, illuminating, and accessible book that will be of interest to both professional and lay readers.