Exclusionary Rule

This important new book examines in some detail the law relating to confessions, unlawful evidence, and the 'right to silence' in the police station. The author also looks at the principles which lie behind this branch of the law. As well as his close examination of the English position, the author also looks at alternative approaches taken by Scottish, Irish, Australian, Canadian, and American legal systems. There is no other book written in English which gives such systematic treatment to this subject.

An inherent tension resides in the Fourth Amendment's strictures on unreasonable searches and seizures. We want it to protect our privacy from government intrusion, yet we want the police to do whatever is required to solve crime. Greater controls on the power of the police provide more privacy protections to citizens. Reduced controls on police actions provide less privacy protection to citizens. Bloom explores this tension as he guides the reader to through the history and relevant Supreme Court decisions that have shaped the current state of Fourth Amendment law.

On December 24, 1968, ten-year-old Pamela Powers was brutally murdered, her body dumped at the side of the road to freeze. Robert Anthony Williams was charged with the crime, and a series of trials, appeals, and reversals ensued. The Christian Burial Case: An Introduction to Criminal and Judicial Procedure introduces readers to the intricacies of the American legal system, using the Williams case to illustrate all the stages of the legal process from the point of arrest, to the trial, the appellate process, and, ultimately, the Supreme Court. The text clearly and concisely explains criminal and court procedures in the context of the Williams case, paying careful attention to the rights against self-incrimination and to counsel, and to the role of the exclusionary rule in our system of justice. This unique introduction to criminal justice and judicial procedure captures the imagination of the reader as it chronicles "The Christian Burial" case from beginning to end.

Of all amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the Fourth has been called the most ambiguous, and it is from that amendment that search and seizure laws are primarily drawn. Students will learn about the legal issues and cases argued concerning protection of property and privacy, searching homes and businesses, searching people in public places, searching automobiles and baggage, and wiretapping. The Exclusionary Rule and the right to privacy beyond search and seizure are specifically examined in detail.

"Stripping away the cloaks of judicial folderol, Max Boot has uncovered the new cancer of capitalism -- the exploitation of the law to advance the interests of judges at the costs of business and the public. In scathing prose and detailed reporting, Boot rises to challenge the bench".