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Supreme Court - General & Miscellaneous, Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, General & Miscellaneous U.S. Political Biography, Political Figures - Biography, Law, Biography - General & Miscellaneous, Judges - Biography
Earl Warren: Justice for All by Christine L. Compston β€” book cover

Earl Warren: Justice for All

by Christine L. Compston
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Overview

In Earl Warren, Christine Compston examines how a man with little judicial experience became one of the greatest Supreme Court chief justices in the history of the United States. A natural leader, Warren rose from a working-class childhood to become governor of California before he was appointed to the Supreme Court. Warren had the courage to make decisions that were politically unpopular yet constitutionally sound and morally right, such as his first major opinion Brown v. Board of Education, which desegregated schools. By examining the life of this extraordinary judge, Earl Warren illuminates, with black-and-white photos and illustrations throughout, the struggles behind some of the most profound events of the 20th century, including World War II and the Japanese internment, the civil rights movement, the criminal protection revolution (i.e. Miranda V. Arizona), and the investigation of President Kennedy's assassination.

Examines the life of the influential Supreme Court justice who made decisions that were politically unpopular during such notable twentieth-century events as World War II and the civil rights movement.

Synopsis

In Earl Warren, Christine Compston examines how a man with little judicial experience became one of the greatest Supreme Court chief justices in the history of the United States. A natural leader, Warren rose from a working-class childhood to become governor of California before he was appointed to the Supreme Court. Warren had the courage to make decisions that were politically unpopular yet constitutionally sound and morally right, such as his first major opinion Brown v. Board of Education, which desegregated schools. By examining the life of this extraordinary judge, Earl Warren illuminates, with black-and-white photos and illustrations throughout, the struggles behind some of the most profound events of the 20th century, including World War II and the Japanese internment, the civil rights movement, the criminal protection revolution (i.e. Miranda V. Arizona), and the investigation of President Kennedy's assassination.

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-This book could be considered a biography of the man but its reach is much deeper than the individual. Not only was Warren's court extremely precise in legal judgments, but his family was also held to a higher standard than most. He expected them to be role models for values and attitudes in their everyday life as much as he held himself as a role model for the law community. Warren's raison d'Itre, "to protect and defend," was often criticized in part due to his standing behind unpopular causes and people. His effect on the global community is evidenced by the text box insertions of letters and documents from other prominent people to or about Warren. There are a number of black-and-white photos of the Justice interacting with other important figures in history as well as some campaign posters and newspaper articles. These pictures are all from government archives, museums, and institutes for higher education. The book concludes with a chronology of important events, a lengthy bibliography, and a detailed index.-Marilyn Fairbanks, Azure IRC, Brockton High School, MA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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Editorials

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-This book could be considered a biography of the man but its reach is much deeper than the individual. Not only was Warren's court extremely precise in legal judgments, but his family was also held to a higher standard than most. He expected them to be role models for values and attitudes in their everyday life as much as he held himself as a role model for the law community. Warren's raison d'Itre, "to protect and defend," was often criticized in part due to his standing behind unpopular causes and people. His effect on the global community is evidenced by the text box insertions of letters and documents from other prominent people to or about Warren. There are a number of black-and-white photos of the Justice interacting with other important figures in history as well as some campaign posters and newspaper articles. These pictures are all from government archives, museums, and institutes for higher education. The book concludes with a chronology of important events, a lengthy bibliography, and a detailed index.-Marilyn Fairbanks, Azure IRC, Brockton High School, MA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Earl Warren, attorney general of Alameda County, California, and later of the State of California, then Governor of California, and finally Chief Justice of the United States, changed the judicial system and expanded civil rights and liberties. In his lifetime, he made one gross error, permitting the internment of Japanese-Americans in concentration camps during WWII. In a public apology after the war, he stated that he was wrong. A Republican by party registration and appointed to the Supreme Court by a Republican president (Eisenhower), he was at heart a Democrat. Even today (or perhaps especially today) he is regarded by some conservative voices as the Chief Justice who sabotaged and changed the course of the Court towards a position of interpretation rather than hewing to a presumption of what the makers of the Constitution intended. Some of the most far-reaching cases he adjudicated were Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, Gideon v. Wainwright, and a full briefcase of others. Compston details the political shenanigans that propelled him to the position of Chief Justice and provides fulsome information about Warren. But the work is somewhat dull, due, perhaps, to a lack of personal anecdotes and the seriousness of the subject. A knowledgeable reader might wonder what transformed Warren in his judicial philosophy and wonder about the current Supreme Court. But this is an adequate start. (chronology, further reading by and about Warren, index, picture credits, text credits) (Nonfiction. 12-15)

Book Details

Published
January 1, 2002
Publisher
Oxford University Press, USA
Pages
160
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780195130010

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