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 Out Of OrderArrogance, Corruption, And Incompetence On The Benchby Max Boot May 2, 1999
DescriptionHear about the judge who got busted for selling crack? What about the judge who released from jail a felon who then promptly killed a rookie cop? Or the one who ordered a prison to supply its inmates with hot pots? In Out of Order: Arrogance, Corruption, and Incompetence on the Bench, investigative reporter Max Boot documents dozens of stories like these as he blows the whistle on the least publicized, the most destructive, branch of the government—the compelling statistics to support his belief that judges have greatly damaged both the criminal and civil justice systems. Boot criticizes well-known judges like Lance Ito, who presided over the O.J. Simpson follies, and Harold Baer, the New York judge who initially decided to exclude from evidence eighty pounds of drugs because he found nothing “unusual” about a courier fleeing from the cops. He reveals judges who have taken advantage of their office not only for personal gain, but also to gain greater political power. The “juristocracy,” as Boot calls it, has taken over the running of schools, prisons, and other institutions, with disastrous results: forced busing, which has led to white flight from inner-city schools; higher taxes, as judges have ordered more government spending, regardless of results; and greater social divisions, because judges have taken controversial issues like abortion out of the political arena. Rundowns of case after case reveal judges who have routinely overturned popular initiatives without legal right to do so, implemented controversial policies with no basis in law, and put millions of dollars into the pockets of undeserving plaintiffs. Following in the footsteps of the bestselling Death of Common Sense and Slouching Towards Gomorrah, Out of Order is a tightly reported, highly opinionated expose that should set off a national debate about the woeful state of our legal system. It also offers hope, by providing ways to improve the performance of the judiciary and reclaim its original role as servant of the people. Reviews“Out of Order shines a brilliant but harsh light on the judges who run America’s courts, and explains why Americans are fearful of our system of justice. Filled with stories that will make your blood boil, Out of Order is a wake-up call to Americans to reform the way we select judges, define judicial responsibilities, and hold judges accountable.” “Max Boot is a rare commodity: a journalist who writes with insight and purpose on important matters. Out of Order is an excellent book on an embarrassing topic—the current United States legal system. In a compelling, convincing manner, Boot explains why far too many American courtrooms are chaotic, undisciplined, out of order.” “Max Boot’s new book is a winner and a must read. Having spent twenty-five years in the criminal justice system, or what passes for a system, I can assure you this book will either inspire you or anger you, but it certainly won’t bore you.” “Stripping away the cloaks of judicial folderol, Max boot has uncovered the new cancer of capitalism—the exploitation of the law to advance the interestes of judges at the costs of business and the public. In a bold, bar-wise and gripping screed, Max Boot here shows that judges have become an illegitimate Juristocracy—rule by holders of law degrees—and the most dangerous branch of government,’ ‘seizing political, financial, and sexual power while emitting squidlike mists of baffling legal ink to cover their tracks. In scathing prose and detailed reporting, Boot rises to challenge the bench: ‘Have you no sense of decency?’ From the supposedly conservative Supreme Court to remote rural districts, Boot shows that all too often judges reduce the majesty of the law to the pettifoggery of legal extortion, financial chicanery and ideological tyranny.” Selling TerritoryWorld |
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