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A review by jimtwombly
Clarence Darrow: Attorney for the Damned by John A. Farrell
4.0
Incredible! I first got interested in Clarence Darrow by watching the movie "Inherit the Wind" as a child. In spite of his very human flaws, Darrow was a true American hero. Much criticised by contemporaries for seeming to abandon his principles, the one key principle driven home by this book is that every one deserves the best legal defense, regardless of their guilt or innocence. Darrow stuck to that principle through all the trials documented by Farrell. Sure, he took money from business interests (even though he was and advocate for labor) and criminals, but he used tha money so that he could defend others who couldn't afford legal representation.
Farrell's work also points out two key differences in American society between the late 1800s/early 1900s and today. The first is the distinct difference between libertarians of Darrow's time and libertarians of today. The Rand/Ron Paul & Paul Ryan variety of today, influenced by Ayn Rand (though she would never call herself a libertarian), are far different from the libertarians with whom Darrow associated. Those libertarians saw the need for organized labor as a counter to big business and they had social attitudes more closely aligned with the free-love generation of the 1960s.
The second difference pointed out by Farrell's work is the lack of forensic science in the days when Darrow practiced law. There were no CSIs, no ability for ballistics tests, DNA testing, fingerprint analysis, and all the other technology made so familiar by modern TV. It's amazing that our criminal justice system functioned at all back then, though it didn't function well at all with the apparent prevalence of jury tampering and bribery.
Anyone interested in Darrow's life or career should read this book, as should anyone interested in the politics and social mores of that time.
Farrell's work also points out two key differences in American society between the late 1800s/early 1900s and today. The first is the distinct difference between libertarians of Darrow's time and libertarians of today. The Rand/Ron Paul & Paul Ryan variety of today, influenced by Ayn Rand (though she would never call herself a libertarian), are far different from the libertarians with whom Darrow associated. Those libertarians saw the need for organized labor as a counter to big business and they had social attitudes more closely aligned with the free-love generation of the 1960s.
The second difference pointed out by Farrell's work is the lack of forensic science in the days when Darrow practiced law. There were no CSIs, no ability for ballistics tests, DNA testing, fingerprint analysis, and all the other technology made so familiar by modern TV. It's amazing that our criminal justice system functioned at all back then, though it didn't function well at all with the apparent prevalence of jury tampering and bribery.
Anyone interested in Darrow's life or career should read this book, as should anyone interested in the politics and social mores of that time.