Black Robes, White Justice Wright Bruce

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

A controversial New York City judge (dubbed ``Turn `em Loose Bruce'' by tabloid critics), Wright here presents an attack on the criminal court system that is certain to infuriate many. His major contention is that, in a system where most judges are white and most defendants black, judges are ``ignorant of and indifferent to the debased reality of those who are judged.'' The book, a hodgepodge of autobiographical experiences and reflections, is so poorly organized that Wright never fully develops his argument. Instead, he offers random accounts of painful racial episodes that he has experienced or observed in the courtroom and elsewhere. Topics range from relations between blacks and Jews, to conflicts with New York City police over his lenient bail policies. Recalling his days as a young lawyer with the ``naive ideal'' that he could help blacks, Wright is pessimistic and half-hearted in suggesting that better education of potential judges in racial aspects of U.S. history might improve the situation depicted here.