Courtroom 302: A Year Behind the Scenes in an American Courthouse.

• Author: Mandell, David
• Position: Book Review

Courtroom 302, A Year Behind the Scenes in an American Courthouse by Steve Bogira

Each day thousands of people trudge into criminal courthouses to learn what fate awaits them. These anonymous defendants are invisible to the public, unless accused of a sensational crime. Chicago journalist Steve Bogira decided to see how the criminal justice system really works. For a year, he sat in Chicago's criminal courtroom 302. With exceptional access to the judge, lawyers, and staff, he was able to obtain one of the most intimate views of how justice is meted out.

The first fact Bogira noticed was the connection between drugs and crime. An enormous number of defendants are drug dependent. They are a far cry from the Miami Vice television portrayal. In Chicago criminal court there are no drug lords flaunting yachts and luxury cars. Instead there is an unending parade of addicts, most hoping only to be assigned to another rehabilitation program and escape jail time. Everyone--judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney--knows that the judicial branch is ill equipped to combat drug addiction. The goal in Chicago is to move the docket and avoid a trial. In Bogira's view, the war on drugs was lost many years ago.

Readers also see the overwhelming pressure to plea bargain cases. Defendants routinely plead guilty to charges they deny and prosecutors reduce charges to ensure convictions. The case flowchart tops everything. Chicago, like most urban areas, relies on public defenders to represent the bulk of criminal cases. Defendants receive brief visits in the lockup, a source of great anger, resulting in angry courthouse disturbances. Bogira points to another source of friction: courthouse employment. Chicago is famous for its political machine and all hiring, from sweeping floors, guarding defendants, to prosecuting and...