Book Review: Mullins, C. W., & Rothe, D. L. (2008). Blood, Power, and Bedlam: Violations of International Criminal Law in Post-Colonial Africa. New York: Peter Lang. 230 pp

• Author: Nonso Okafo
• DOI: 10.1177/1057567709335444
• Published date: 01 September 2009
• Date: 01 September 2009

Referring to U.S. Supreme Court rulings and using them to construct a practical field guide for the

LEO is a formidable task. By using this type of case study analysis, there is a risk that the reader will

feel bogged down by the details of the individual cases or will become confused by the seeming con-

tradictions. Woody accepts the challenge and tries to address upfront these potential pitfalls by stat-

ing the following:

The reviews of U.S. Supreme Court cases presented in this book offer information intended to

educate, not provide hard-and-fast prescriptions and proscriptions for decision making related

to search and seizure. In the end, the LEO must always exercise personal judgment regarding

when, how, and on whom to conduct a search or seizure. (p. 4)

It is clear that the author has great respect for the LEO and has written this book to provide the

LEO with self-protective tools. Although considerable discretion is given to the autonomous LEO

out in the field, the author recognizes that oftentimes it is the LEO who winds up being the public

scapegoat. Numerous times throughout the book, the author advises the LEO to err on the side of

caution. If there is any doubt at all about the legality of a search or seizure, then it is recommended

that a warrant be obtained.

This book is timely because it addresses the increased tension, since 9/11, that exists between pri-

vate rights and public safety. The author states clearly that the law is more than merely a collection of

written rules, but is also a dynamic concept. This book makes the point that LEOs must follow the

law as it is written, and in addition, they must also be conscious of, and responsive to, the spirit of the

law. In America, despite recent restrictionshaving been placed on societal members because of terror-

ist threats, the spirit of the law remains committed to democracy and personal freedom; it is, therefore,

the duty of the LEO to uphold these American standards. A quote from Sophocles (495-406 BC) is

included, ‘‘Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law.’’

Any author who, within the confines of 170 pages, accomplishes the following deserves credit:

(a) reviews 93 court cases with respect to search and seizure procedures, (b) provides an overview

of the legal process for criminal prosecution, (c) defines legal jargon, and (d) gives practical

guidance for LEOs. If some sections are less clear than others or if certain concepts could be further

clarified, that is merely a minor consequence of Woody having written a guidebook rather than a

treatise. Having interviewed others and having personally gone through the experience of basic train-

ing, the author wrote this book to fill an identified gap in the LEO’s education. It is not easy to write

legalese in a practical way so that nonlawyers can understand, and yet that is what Woody attempts to

do. Overall, he succeeds.

Sherri DioGuardi

University of Florida

Mullins, C. W., & Rothe, D. L. (2008). Blood, Power,

and Bedlam: Violations of International Criminal Law in

Post-Colonial Africa. New York: Peter Lang. 230 pp.

DOI: 10.1177/1057567709335444

‘‘Bedlam’’ (or mad house) fittingly describes the sample states and the criminal violations studied

for this book. The authors use case studies of Rwanda, Uganda, Congo (Zaire; DRC), and Sudan to

illustrate the mind-boggling violations of national and international laws in parts of Africa. For a

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