Getting Away With Murder

At a time when three-quarters of black Americans believe that the criminal justice system is racist and unfair; when nearly half of all whites think it's ineffective and in decline; when crime, though falling, still tops the list of public concerns, and politicians exploit public distrust of the system to get elected, Getting Away with Murder makes a statement that is powerful, controversial, and urgently needed. Don't be fooled by the subtitle of this smart and lively book - Susan Estrich is not against politics in our criminal justice system, but for it. Indeed, she thinks some sort of politics is inevitable, so the key question about, say, criminal juries is not whether they should do politics, but how. What is destroying the system, Estrich says, is a 'separatist,' 'balkanized,' and 'dishonest' politics. In its place, she summons up a vision of a unifying politics, focusing not on what tears Americans apart but on what brings us together... She delivers an impressive product-a broad critique of the current system and a road map for reform built on faith in the common sense of common people.