The Pursuit of Justice

Initially, I was hesitant to read a ‘law book', because of my high school civics class scars. However, this one is an unexpected delight. It details landmark Supreme Court cases involving constitutional issues from 1803 to 2000. Each case is presented with a comprehensive background, a succinct overview of the court's proceedings and arguments, the court's opinion, the new precedent it established and how it affected the future.

What makes this book fun for laypeople are the intriguing anecdotes about the individuals involved and the historical context of each case. For instance, in a case that resulted in Miranda warnings (“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?”), there is a tidbit about what happened to this Miranda: He was paroled in 1972, but in 1976 he was knifed and killed during a barroom fight in Phoenix. After arresting a suspect in the murder of Miranda, the policemen read the Court-mandated Miranda warning to him. He exercised his right to remain silent and was released from custody. No one was ever charged in the murder of Ernesto Miranda.

Highly recommend it! (Available for free at https://www.annenbergclassroom.org/resource/the-pursuit-of-justice/)