The 37th Amendment

by Susan Shelley

Book Overview

Ted Braden is just trying to collect on a basketball bet when he telephones a fellow Lakers fan one night. That phone call makes him a witness in a sensational murder trial and launches him into a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595230830
• ISBN13: 9780595230839
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Freedom in free fall

Set in 2056, Ms. Shelley's novel examines what happens when the due process clause of the United States Constitution is eliminated and states are truly free to set their own laws, no matter how draconian, without any federal oversight. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, this is a thought provoking examination of a United States legal system where the constitution has been amended to accomplish the states' rights agenda of many current politicans. The story presents both sides of the debate in a way that is simultaneously entertaining and intellectually challenging: a formidable accomplishment.

Riveting, Exciting, Thought-Provoking.

This book is advertised as a legal thriller and it is -- it certainly keeps you turning the pages -- but it's a lot more than just a story about the lives and loves of lawyers. What Susan Shelley has done in this novel is amend the U.S. Constitution to solve the crime problem, and then start the story forty years later, in 2056, to see how it turned out.It's fascinating in kind of a back-to-the-future (but not quite) way. Picture the 1950s with modern women and without the bother of marriage.While you're flying through the story (it moves!), thinking about how nice it would be to live in a nearly crime-free Los Angeles, the characters in the book are battling over a case of justice gone wrong and trying to change everything back to the way we do it now.You'll find yourself identifying with the senior citizens in this book, the ones who remember how things were way back in the 1990s. These kids today....This is a dazzling novel. It also includes an appendix, an amazing history of "How the First Amendment Came to Protect Topless Dancing." You'll definitely want to read it if you're interested in the Supreme Court, or if you're on the Supreme Court.Five stars.

Clinton's judicial nominees are destroying America

This book demonstrates why Bill Clinton's judicial nominees are so dangerous to America. These judicial nominees have a bad habit of rewriting law from the bench. This book shows that the Republicans who thwarted several of Clinton's nominees did the United States a favor.

An Intriguing Premise!

Susan Shelley has come up with an intriguing premise for this, her first novel. It's an alternate explanation of a crime-free future in the USA to that set forth in the movie, "Minority Report" and the novel that preceded it.In Shelley's Los Angeles of 2056, the use of capital punishment is wielded like an angry sword. The legal justification for this becomes possible when the 37th Amendment to the Constitution is passed in the year 2016. The road to the amendment is paved by a capable young lawyer C. Dobson Howe, who makes a name for himself in leading the nation's voters to demand true equality through a constitutional amendment, proposed on a grass-roots basis. Others follow his plan, and the 37th amendment is enacted to take away the guarantee of due process in the Bill of Rights, repealing the 14th amendment provisions that the states would also insure due process. In the 40 years following the amendment, many states, California at the forefront, made harsh and expedited punishment the "law of their land" for violent crimes. The effect of this after 40 years, is that, without as many rights as they have today, violent criminals have pretty much ceased to exist. California in 2056 is pretty idyllic in terms of the safety and security of its population. California's expedited punishment law has been curtailed by the Federal Ramirez Act, so that violent criminals are guaranteed some time to appeal to guard against mistakes; a minimum of 5 years. But California has challenged Ramirez as unconstitutional, and in the early pages of the novel, they win their appeal. As a result, rapid execution is reinstated.The novel's hero, Ted Braden, is caught unawares in the middle of a violent murder case, one of few that LA has seen in recent years. Despite his assurance that the man accused of this murder couldn't have done it, because he was sitting near him at a Lakers' game when the murder occurred, the jury that convicts Robert Rand relies on the testimony of two eyewitnesses in a case of mistaken identity. Rand's fate is pursued by Braden, working with the assistance of a contact in the DA's office, Jordan Rainsborough, and C. Dobson Howe, aging, and determined to reverse the 37th amendment before he dies. The story moves quickly and absorbs you in the tale of justice gone wrong. Shelley's writing is capable, Braden and Howe are believable - the romances of Braden are a touch unbelievable, particularly in the way he moves from woman to woman. But, you'll find yourself engrossed in the story and receptive to the way in which Shelley pursues it, particularly in light of her humor. The book handles the sidebar of the all but 100% disappearance of marriage in the future, and the reasons why, with a light touch. Although Jordan is somewhat of a caricature of the beauteous lawyer, her opening gambit, when many men ogle her, is amusing, "Sure, you think that. But you won't call."In this day and age, when the composition of the Supreme Co

Murder, crime, corruption, and hotly argued criminal trials

Set in the year 2056, forty years after a 37th amendment has removed "due process of law" from the United States Constitution, The 37th Amendment by Susan Shelley is an original and compelling novel about murder, crime, corruption, and hotly argued criminal trials. A fascinating "what-if" look into the near future, written with a solid understanding of law and legal history, The 37th Amendment also features an intriguing appendix "How the First Amendment Came to Protect Topless Dancing"; offers a passionate, insightful look at the constitutional and court system vs. states' rights; and closes with a singularly memorable quote: "Really, a Supreme Court justice should be able to retire without the whole country coming unglued about it".