Library Journal
Published posthumously, Stuntz's (law, Harvard Univ.) new work is a bracing critique of American criminal jurisprudence. He argues that because of harsh sentences, the few jury trials, poor policing methods, and misguided court decisions, the United States has a wasteful and destructive criminal justice system. Two things stand out in Stuntz's book: the extensive use of demographic data and the author's ability to synthesize historic, economic, and political developments of the last 150 years into a clear, persuasive narrative. The first part of the book compares the effects of both European immigration and the Great Migration from the South, examining crime rates and the justice system. The remainder primarily consists of an analysis of how the Supreme Court under Justice Earl Warren made it easier for well-heeled defendants to escape justice because of the emphasis on street crime and police misconduct. It would be better, Stuntz submits, to emphasize community policing and local jury trials and to reduce sentences—eliminating the great disparity in the punishment of white and black defendants and promoting more respect for the law. VERDICT Deeply researched and well written, this is an outstanding work. Highly recommended for all collections.—Harry Charles, St. Louis