Review by Booklist Review
At the heart of this thought-provoking book about the American justice system is the story of two young women, Leigh and Tami, who are lovers. Accused of unlawful possession of morphine and aggravated assault, the two are brought to trial. It is the latter charge that emerges as the more important. The prosecutor alleges that the two, whom he regards as violent, vicious lesbians, have sexually assaulted a third young woman, Kim. But did they? Beety, an innocence litigator and former federal prosecutor, does an excellent job in telling the dramatic story of the ensuing trial--itself riddled with injustices--with minimum legalese. The two women are found guilty and are sentenced to 44 years in prison. A dozen years pass before exculpatory evidence that the prosecution had hidden is revealed, and the author and her associates at the Mississippi Innocence Project succeed in having the verdict reversed, freeing Leigh and Tami. Beety concludes her important book by proclaiming "Let's manifest justice now!"
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Arizona University law professor Beety spotlights the case of her former client Leigh Stubbs in this shocking study of how the criminal justice system discriminates against "poor people of color and people with non-mainstream identities such as genderqueer and transgender individuals." Arrested in March 2000 after she sought help for a female friend who had overdosed on OxyContin, Stubbs was convicted of sexual assault and illegal drug possession and sentenced to 44 years in prison. As Beety methodically explains, the prosecution built their case on faulty forensic evidence, false testimony, and insinuations that Stubbs, a lesbian, was a predatory sexual deviant. The Mississippi Innocence Project took on the case and Beety launched a campaign for a new trial, despite the long odds facing a convicted defendant. From habeas corpus laws rife with nearly impossible timing restrictions to federal appeals courts that automatically defer to state court decisions, Beety explains how the justice system "bends, sometimes inordinately, to uphold a conviction." Her solutions include legislation to allow defendants to "challenge charges, convictions and sentences based on racially disparate impact" and rewards for prosecutors who acknowledge wrongful convictions, rather than seeking "a conviction for conviction's sake." Enriched by Beety's lucid case studies and vivid profiles of Stubbs and other clients, this is an invigorating and eye-opening call to action. (June)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Activist, law professor, and former federal prosecutor Beety (The Wrongful Convictions Reader) offers a powerful indictment of the American justice system. Beety turned her efforts to innocence litigation when working with the Innocence Movement in Mississippi and later founding the West Virginia Innocence Project. Through the story of Leigh Stubbs and Tami Vance, two queer women recovering from substance-use disorder, Beety reveals the flaws in the criminal justice system, which often favors finality over justice and fails to serve both witnesses and defendants. While Beety meticulously draws upon studies and articles in support of her argument, listeners will not feel overwhelmed and will readily recognize Beety's point that there are too many alleged criminals and not enough true justice. Narrator Raechel Wong handles this complex material with care. After listening to her carefully explain to the nonlawyers of the world what the writs of habeas corpus and coram nobis are and what they mean to someone convicted of a crime, listeners may be surprised to learn of her considerable experience in acting, voice-over, and narrating comedy work. VERDICT This insightful study is a timely and persuasive call to action. Recommended to those who appreciated Brittany K. Barnett's A Knock at Midnight.--Laura Trombley
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