Defending the Damned: Inside a Dark Corner of the Criminal Justice SystemChicago was the nation's deadliest city in 2001, recording 666 homicides. For lawyers in the Cook County Public Defender's Office Murder Task Force, that meant a steady flow of new clients. Eight out of ten people arrested for murder in Chicago are represented by public defenders. They're assigned the most challenging and seemingly hopeless cases, yet they always fight to win. One of those lawyers is Marijane Placek, a snakeskin boot-wearing, Shakespeare-quoting nonconformist whose courtroom bravado and sharp legal skills have made her a well-known figure around the courthouse. When an ex-convict was arrested on charges of killing a Chicago police officer that deadly year, Placek got the high-profile case, and her defense forms the hub around which the book's narrative revolves. Veteran journalist Kevin Davis reveals the compelling true story of a team of battle-scarred lawyers fighting against all odds. Unflinching, gripping, and full of surprises, Defending the Damned is an unforgettable human story and engaging courtroom drama where life and death hang in the balance. Davis explores the motives that compel these lawyers to come to work in this dark corner of the criminal justice system and exposes their insular and often misunderstood world. This groundbreaking work comes at a time when the country has seen how wrongful convictions have slipped through the system, that innocent people have been sent to death row, and that some police have lied or coerced suspects into confessing to crimes they did not commit. Such flaws drive these public defenders even harder to do their jobs, providing scrutiny to a long ignored and often broken system. Davis's reporting offers an unvarnished account of public defenders as never seen before. A powerful melding of courtroom drama and penetrating truecrime journalism, Defending the Damned is narrative nonfiction at its finest. |
From inside the book
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Contents
Killer Defense | 1 |
The Crime | 10 |
Anarchist Under Contract | 20 |
Welcome to Our World | 34 |
How Can They Defend These People? | 47 |
Scene of the Crime | 59 |
Confession or Coercion? | 71 |
Everyones Entitled to One | 80 |
A Shot in the Dark | 158 |
Downs and Ups | 181 |
Always Afraid | 196 |
Arguing for Life | 206 |
A Religious Matter | 224 |
Judgment Day | 240 |
Lifes Sentences | 254 |
The Twist | 265 |
Other editions - View all
Defending the Damned: Inside a Dark Corner of the Criminal Justice System Kevin Davis Limited preview - 2008 |
Defending the Damned: Inside Chicago's Cook County Public Defender's Office Kevin Davis Limited preview - 2007 |
Defending the Damned: Inside Chicago's Cook County Public Defender's Office Kevin Davis No preview available - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
alley Aloysius Aloysius Oliver Aloysius’s arrest asked attorneys Barner beat began believed Betsy called charged Chicago clients close confession continued convicted cops correct County court courtroom crime criminal death penalty decided didn’t drug English Eric Lee evidence explained face father feel felt fired friends give going Green guilty hand happened head heard hearing jail judge Julie jury justice killed kind knew later lawyers lived looked Marijane McKay Moran mother moved murder needed never night Nixon O’Connor offered Oliver person police officer prison prosecutors public defender question remember Ruth seemed sentencing Shawn Shelton shooting shot side someone stand State’s statement story street talk Task Force tell thing thought told took trial tried trying walked wanted witness Woody