Courtroom 302

Paper Summary:

In this essay, the writer introduces, discusses and analyzes the book "Courtroom 302: A Year Behind the Scenes in an American Criminal Courthouse" by Steve Bogira. The writer notes that "Courtroom 302" is a detailed and disturbing look into the criminal justice system in America. The writer points out that the author spent one year observing the activity in a particular courthouse in Chicago and that the result is an intimate portrayal of the people who populate the courts of America, from criminals to prosecutors and beyond. The writer concludes that the criminal justice system is failing many Americans, and that is what makes this book so troublesome and so memorable.

From the Paper:

"It is clear the author researched this book with depth and detail. Not only did he spend a year inside Courtroom 302, he interviewed hundreds of participants in the courtroom drama, including Judge Daniel Locallo, the presiding judge in the courtroom, numerous times. His notes on each chapter indicate he also used published sources as background for his own exhaustive research and interview process. The book is well written and compelling, but it is also well researched and defended. The author clearly understands his subject and his experience in the courtroom. He brings this understanding to the reader, to make the entire experience more interesting and enlightening."
"Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this book is the implications it holds for every courtroom across America. First, Chicago may be the busiest felony courthouse in the nation, but there are hundreds more just like it all across the country, filled with petty criminals to the worst habituals."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bogira, Steve. Courtroom 302: A Year Behind the Scenes in an American Criminal Courthouse. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005.

More papers on Courtroom 302:

• Descriptive Essay # 111611 : "Courtroom Workgroup"
• Narrative Essay # 54523 : "A Day in the Courtroom"
• Research Paper # 65134 : "Cameras in the Courtroom"

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