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"entertaining . . . reads like a television reality series."
—Alan Dershowitz, criminal defense attorney
Ever wonder what it’s really like to be a criminal prosecutor in a city like Chicago? Felony Review is a vivid, behind-the-scenes account of the years Randy Barnett spent as a young prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office during the late 1970s and early 1980s—an era of violent crime and widespread corruption in the criminal courts of Chicago.
With firsthand immediacy and sharp insight, Barnett recounts the murder investigations, grisly police station confessions, courtroom tactics, and moral dilemmas he faced while rising through the ranks from chaotic misdemeanor courts, to the city’s pioneering Felony Review Unit, to the felony trial courts. Along the way, he reflects on why criminals confess to the police; how to maintain your integrity while working within a corrupt system; and why the exclusionary rule, which bars illegally obtained evidence from being used in court, was a good thing but should be replaced.
A bracing true-crime narrative told by a prosecutor who went on to become one of the country’s leading legal thinkers, Felony Review brings to life the gritty realities of big-city justice—and shows why being a real prosecutor is better than TV. It is a book for lovers of true crime stories, for lawyers, and for anyone who aspires to be a courtroom lawyer.
"entertaining . . . reads like a television reality series."
—Alan Dershowitz, criminal defense attorney
“Felony Review is as good as crime novels get, only it happens to be true.”
—Mollie Hemingway, author, columnist, FoxNews political commentator, editor-in chief of The Federalist
“A gritty and inspiring account of his journey from being a prosecutor in Cook County to a celebrated law professor at Georgetown…. This riveting tale should be required reading for every law student seeking an impactful life as a lawyer.”
—Jonathan Turley, law professor, criminal defense attorney, legal analyst, best-selling author
“You’ll be there when gang members make their chilling confessions, and when the threats get so real that Barnett starts packing a gun. As he observes, Hollywood’s take on criminal justice can’t hold a candle to real life.”
—Kurt Schlichter, trial attorney, author, Town Hall columnist
“True stories of crime and punishment that are better than TV! Randy Barnett offers a gripping insider’s tale of prosectors on the mean streets—and in the courthouses—of Chicago.”
—Glenn Harlan Reynolds, law professor, New York Post columnist, blog pioneer
“Randy Barnett’s life in the law was shaped in a crucible of brutal outlaws, beleaguered cops, irascible judges, young prosecutors cutting their teeth, and savvy defense lawyers putting a corrupt system to the test. A memoir about the real world’s heroes and rogues, told with insight and wit.”
Andrew C. McCarthy, bestselling author, National Review contributing editor, former federal prosecutor