You're the Jury

Excellent book on real-life trials, the legal issues and the moral dilemmas they sometimes present. Unfortunately this was the first book of Ehrenfreund's I bought. I then purchasesd YOU BE THE JUDGE, which offers twenty cases. Surprise! Twelve of the cases are simply repeated from here. Start with the later book and you won't feel the desire to purchase both. By the way, there's an intriguing issue of authorship. This title is supposedly by Ehrenfreund and the well-known writer Lawrence Treat. However, the other, published after Treat's death, doesn't name Treat as co-author of the twelve repeated cases. Instead, it thanks him for inspiring the book and for "drafting several passages." So was the use of his name here mostly an advertising ploy, similar to the stack of books with Tom Clancy and....?

This was a very different approach for a person that is interested in CSI or forensics. You're in the juror's box. The situation is spelled out for you in descriptive, accessible terms. The jurors instructions and what each charge against the defendant encompasses are defined and explained thoroughly. I highly recommend this book to middle and upper school children studying government or interested in law. As an adult, I found the book interesting and thought provoking.