Ocean State Libraries

"Unravels the mysteries of criminal law with a plain-English style that incorporates real-life examples, famous films and entertaining hypotheticals. Arranged from A to Z, this desk reference explains criminal law, from abuse excuse to writ of habias corpus"--Provided by publisher.

"Each entry provides an up-to-date official citation, the date the case was argued and decided, the vote of the Justices, who wrote the opinion for the Court, who concurred, and who dissented. More importantly, the entries feature an informative account of the particulars of the case, the legal and social background, the reasoning behind the Court's decision, and the case's impact on American society."--Front flap of jacket.