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A Wild Justice: The Death and Resurrection of Capital Punishment in America (2013)

by Evan J. Mandery

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"Drawing on never-before-published original source detail, the epic story of two of the most consequential, and largely forgotten, moments in Supreme Court history. For two hundred years, the constitutionality of capital punishment had been axiomatic. But in 1962, Justice Arthur Goldberg and his clerk Alan Dershowitz dared to suggest otherwise, launching an underfunded band of civil rights attorneys on a quixotic crusade. In 1972, in a most unlikely victory, the Supreme Court struck down Georgia's death penalty law in Furman v. Georgia. Though the decision had sharply divided the justices, nearly everyone, including the justices themselves, believed Furman would mean the end of executions in America. Instead, states responded with a swift and decisive showing of support for capital punishment. As anxiety about crime rose and public approval of the Supreme Court declined, the stage was set in 1976 for Gregg v. Georgia, in which the Court dramatically reversed direction. A Wild Justice is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at the Court, the justices, and the political complexities of one of the most racially charged and morally vexing issues of our time."--Publisher description.… (more)
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Evan J. Manderyprimary authorall editionscalculated
Miller, JeffCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mulligan, BrianDesignersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
ShutterstockCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.

-- Sir Francis Bacon
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In 1972 the Supreme Court ruled Georgia's death penalty law unconstitutional. (Prologue)
Alan Dershowitz was sweating.
Quotations
Powell also questioned what the public really felt.   "The anti-death penalty movement -- waged with the fervor of a crusade -- has in fact accomplished little in terms of averting public support," he wrote in a note to himself.  "It has been singularly successful in the law reviews, the scholarly journals, and some of the press.   But if the standard is the public -- and not just an elite segment -- the crusade has not had notable success."    (Chap. 8, "Nine Law Firms)
In Raiford, Florida, near Jacksonville, at the Florida State Prison Farm that housed the state's death row, Leslie Horton, awaiting execution for rape, was enjoying a family visit when a guard entered the room and asked, "Can you stand some more good news today?" To Horton's astonishment the guard announced, "The Supreme Court has just abolished the death penalty." (Chap. 11, "A Red-Letter Day")
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"Drawing on never-before-published original source detail, the epic story of two of the most consequential, and largely forgotten, moments in Supreme Court history. For two hundred years, the constitutionality of capital punishment had been axiomatic. But in 1962, Justice Arthur Goldberg and his clerk Alan Dershowitz dared to suggest otherwise, launching an underfunded band of civil rights attorneys on a quixotic crusade. In 1972, in a most unlikely victory, the Supreme Court struck down Georgia's death penalty law in Furman v. Georgia. Though the decision had sharply divided the justices, nearly everyone, including the justices themselves, believed Furman would mean the end of executions in America. Instead, states responded with a swift and decisive showing of support for capital punishment. As anxiety about crime rose and public approval of the Supreme Court declined, the stage was set in 1976 for Gregg v. Georgia, in which the Court dramatically reversed direction. A Wild Justice is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at the Court, the justices, and the political complexities of one of the most racially charged and morally vexing issues of our time."--Publisher description.

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Contents:
An audacious idea -- The most important law firm in America -- Surcease of sorrow -- A near knockout -- To license a laundry, to license a life -- Young lawyers -- Boiling in oil -- Nine law firms -- Whizzer -- Lightning bolts -- A red-letter day -- Sobering up -- Behind the backlash -- Proving deterrence and rationality -- The lion in winter -- The sausage factory -- Taking stock -- The main event -- The center in control.
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