The cases involving Rodney King, Reginald Denny, O.J. Simpson, Colin Ferguson and Louise Woodward all cast a spotlight on deficiencies in the American criminal-justice system. The author of this book argues that the country has a trial system which places far too great an emphasis on winning and not nearly enough on truth - one in which the abilities of a lawyer or the composition of a jury may be much more important to the outcome of a case than any evidence.;Seeking to expose the structural faultlines of the US trial system and its obsession with procedure, the book focuses specifically on ways in which lawyers are permitted to dominate trials, the system's preference for weak judges, and the absurdities of plea bargaining. Comparisons are made with the criminal-justice systems of other countries, and a prescription for rectifying the US system is offered.
