What Anthony Lewis's Gideon's Trumpet meant for understanding the right to counsel for the poor in this country, Dr. Haney's Death by Design means to understanding capital punishment in the United States. An astonishing synthesis of law, sociology, psychology, and the political history of capital punishment, Death by Design makes it possible for anyone to understand the death penalty in ... Read moreAmerica in a deeply nuanced way.
Professor Andrea D. Lyon, Director, The Center for Justice in Capital Cases, DePaul College of Law
This eloquent yet fact-packed book does a superb job of making explicit the injustices and inhumane consequences of the use of the death penalty in America.
Jerome Bruner, University Professor, New York University School of Law
In this critical and engaging book, Craig Haney draws on an impressive body of empirical research, scientific analysis, and his own extensive experience to provide a crucial examination of the system of condemning people to death. His original perspective and outstanding writing make clear the flaws in the death penalty processes and the tragic and unfair results they produce. A groundbreaking study, Death by Design is sophisticated and compelling. It should be read not only by professionals and students, but also by anyone interested in the death penalty and human rights.
Stephen B. Bright, Director, Southern Center for Human Rights,Atlanta, Georgia
This important book documents how much America's passion for the death penalty is fueled by misunderstanding and misinformation about crime, criminals, and the administration of justice in capital cases. It exposes a complex web of mythology and mistake, rooted in sources from media hype to judicial hypocrisy, that distorts public debate about capital punishment, jury deliberations in capital sentencing trials, and judges' efforts to rationalize a runaway system. Must reading!
Anthony G. Amsterdam
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