Justice Vs. Law: Courts and Politics in American Society

by Eugene W. Hickok Jr. and Gary L. McDowell

Book Overview

A detailed analysis of a child-abuse case reveals all of the aspects of the judicial system, including the limits of justice, and makes an argument for judicial restraint. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0029205298
• ISBN13: 9780029205297
• Release Date: September 1993
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 253 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Extraordinary

Justice v. Law provides a brilliant presentation of the tension between law and justice in the American legal system. Unquestionably, this is an important contribution to the literature on the politics of the law, and a challenge to the myth of the political neutrality of the law.

Important comentary about an important case

Joshua DeShaney died at the hands of two people: (1) his father who beat him to death; and (2) the society service worker who failed to recognize that Joshua would surely die if left with his father. After his death, he was further disappointed when the United States Supreme Court refused to recognize that the Department of Social Services should be held accountable for its neglect. The conversative justices believed that the social workers themselves could not hurt Joshua and could not be held accountable for his father's actions. Only Justice Blackmun, in dissent, recognized the tragedy of the DeShaney case and lamented the plight of "Poor Joshua." This book explains the development of a legal system where the government can be held unaccountable for its neglect and posits a brighter future. The authors present their argument in clear language, but the reading is often a bit dry. All in all, however, I believe this is an important book for those who care about whether their legal system is malfunctioning.