Are bad intentions punishable by law? Should a criminal be absolved of a crime if, in the end, that crime somehow benefits society? Is ignorance of the law an excuse for breaking it? The courts grapple with such issues daily. To maintain its moral credibility, argues Robinson (law, Northwestern Univ.), criminal law must guard against any wide discrepancies between deserved and imposed punishment. Here he offers 17 cases that have challenged the law's credibility, giving readers the chance to compare their decisions with those of several hundred persons he has polled and with the decisions of the courts. The result is fascinating reading. However, with almost a third of the book devoted to an appendix of applicable statutes and with a somewhat academic discussion of each case, this is really not suited to the average Court TV fan. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.ÄJim G. Burns, Ottumwa P.L., IA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Anyone interested in law will enjoy this book. Robinson presents 17 cases that push law into situations many people find confusing. The cases are presented in intriguing format in five chapters with titles such as "Can Committing a Crime Be Doing the Right Thing?" and "Can Doing the Wrong Thing Ever Be Blameless?" The cases have titles such as "Can Father and Daughter Kill the Same Man Twice?" "Life Imprisonment for Air Conditioning Fraud?" and "The Congenial Cadaver." Each case begins with a general description of the "facts." At that point, the reader has an opportunity to act as a member of a jury. Given the background information, would the reader find a defendant criminally liable and, if so, what punishment, if any, would be recommended? The format enables readers to test their commonsense assumptions about how the law should work, or how they think it works. Robinson then develops the case in greater detail and explains how the people he surveyed would have decided it. Other elements about the law and the conclusion about the case or the people involved are presented. An appendix examines the law at the time of each trial and reveals legal changes that would apply if the case were tried today. Highly recommended for all libraries. M. A. Foley; Marywood University