The Districts (Stories of Crime and Justice from the Federal Courts)

A fascinating, unprecedented plunge into New York City's federal court system--a world of organized crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, and Wall Street criminality--and a revelatory look at how our justice system, and the pursuit of justice, really works.

The Southern and Eastern District Courts of New York are proving grounds for ambitious prosecutors who turn their service in government into power, position, and, in some cases, celebrity; these attorneys don't hope for victory in the courtroom, they expect it. In The Districts, Johnny Dwyer takes a comprehensive look at these two epicenters of power in our justice system, exposing the incentives that drive how America chooses to punish crime and what those choices reveal about our politics and our society. Dwyer takes us not just into the courtrooms but also into the lives of those who enter through their doors: the judges and defendants, prosecutors and defense counsels, winners and losers. Brimming with detail and drama, The Districts illuminates the meaning of intent, of reasonable doubt, of deception, and--perhaps most important--of justice