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Overview
Black Judges on Justice is the first book to present the views of leading African American judges on the way our judicial system works. From pioneers such as Leon Higginbotham and Constance Baker Motley (the first black female federal judge) to such outspoken and well-known mavericks as Bruce Wright, the testimony of these judges provides penetrating analysis of the role of the jurist, of the daily malfunctioning of the courts, and of the future of the judicial system itself.Black Judges on Justice is the first book to present the voices of leading African American jurists on the way our judicial system works. Fourteen jurists from across the nation give fascinating insight into the problems facing us as a nation, as well as a unique contribution to understanding how race and justice intertwine.
Synopsis
Black Judges on Justice is the first book to present the views of leading African American judges on the way our judicial system works. From pioneers such as Leon Higginbotham and Constance Baker Motley (the first black female federal judge) to such outspoken and well-known mavericks as Bruce Wright, the testimony of these judges provides penetrating analysis of the role of the jurist, of the daily malfunctioning of the courts, and of the future of the judicial system itself.
Publishers Weekly
Fourteen black judges reflect on work and philosophy in interviews with Washington, executive editor of the Philadelphia Tribune and a former assistant to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. While the book's format leads to some overlap, the interviews are often candid and thoughtful. Fred Banks, of the Mississippi Supreme Court, notes that black judges bring to the system both legitimacy and the perspective of their socialization. While most of the comments on creative sentencing and the continuing impact of discrimination are unsurprising, some are more pointed. New York federal judge Henry Bramwell urges a stronger black work ethic and Joseph Brown Jr., criminal court judge of Shelby County (Memphis, Tenn.), laments the passing of men's ``absolute control over the household.'' Retired federal appeals court judge A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. observes that law students are rarely taught the U.S. Supreme Court's ugly early cases involving blacks, but firebrand New York City trial court judge Bruce Wright ups the ante by arguing that all judges should pass tests in black history. (Jan.)