Review of Illusions of Justice by Jerome F. Buting

Book review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on February 28, 2017 http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/illusion

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“Yes, I believe [Steven] Avery is innocent. This is my opinion, which I know is not worth very much, but my opinion is based on an assessment of the evidence.”
—Jerome F. Buting

In 1985, Steven Avery was convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder and served 18 years in prison before being exonerated by DNA evidence. After his release, he filed a multimillion dollar civil lawsuit against Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. In November 2005, while this suit was pending, he was charged and later convicted of the murder of Teresa Halbach and sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole.

The handling of the Halbach murder case was highly controversial and his defense lawyers, Jerome Buting and Dean Strang, argued that their client had been set up by his judicial rivals. Avery’s 2007 murder trial and its related issues were the focus of the wildly popular and provocative Netflix original documentary series, Making a Murderer, which was released in December 2015.

In Illusions of Justice: Inside making a Murderer and America’s Broken System, Jerome F. Buting links his version of the Avery murder trial with other cases from his 35-year career as a criminal defense attorney. From his early career as a public defender to his success overturning wrongful convictions working with the Innocence Project, Buting’s first foray into memoir delivers an insightful look at the rampant bias and shocking realities of criminal defense law.

“. . . with greater regularity than people outside the system might expect, the American criminal justice system leads to results that are unreliable, unjust, and sometimes both.”

Buting states that his purpose in writing this book was not to “retry the Avery case day by day” but to highlight what he saw as the central issues in the case. He states that his perspectives were shaped not only by the facts of the case but also by his previous experiences as a criminal defense attorney.
In this easy to read narrative, Buting explores his personal life, which includes a deeply personal and emotional account of his battle with cancer, while explaining and outlining his career-defining cases. He also sheds light on the imperfections of America’s justice system and provides a thought provoking and credible outline for its improvement.

“I have always looked at the career of a criminal defense lawyer as more of a vocation than a job. But cancer was a wake-up call. It helped me understand how people must feel when they find themselves wrongly accused as a defendant in court, totally dependent on an expert . . . to guide them through the labyrinthine criminal justice system.”

He goes on to write, “The saga of Steven Avery, which unfolded in a sweeping narrative studded with intricate detail, stunned many as a portrayal of a badly warped American justice system.” When he agreed to team-up with fellow defense attorney Dean Strang in the Avery case, he instinctively knew that they were involved in a tragic case that bordered on Shakespearean proportions.

“This was the kind of profound challenge that a good attorney in the prime of his career should not shy away from. The Avery case would test our faith in this system like few others. It had all the elements of the awesome power of the government juggernaut arrayed against one man, who had been an outcast his whole life.”

Buting’s Illusion of Justice is thought provoking and delivers critical interpretations and powerful commentary on the problems that are plaguing our criminal justice system. Through painstaking analysis and evidence, the author provides an unyielding and persuasive argument both for Steven Avery’s innocence and the need for change within our criminal justice system. His unwavering advocacy for justice in the face of overwhelming obstacles is commendable and must be applauded. This book is a must read for legal scholars, true crime enthusiasts, or anyone interested in the complexities of America’s criminal justice system.

Michael Thomas Barry's most recent book is In the Company of Evil: Thirty Years of California Crime, 1950–1980. He is the author of six other nonfiction books and is a columnist for CrimeMagazine.com.

Review of Blue on Blue by Charles Campisi

Review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on February 6, 2017 http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/blue-on-blue

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It’s often said that the police are the “thin blue line,” the fragile wall standing between the public and unrestrained anarchy and crime. But within the realm of policing there is no more despised or guarded assignment then Internal Affairs.

“Their work is often misunderstood, by the public and by others cops. It is racked with uncertainties and ambiguities, not simple black and white but varying shades of grey.”

The domain of Internal Affairs is filled with lies and betrayal, a world of squealers and snitches, wires and wiretaps, shadowy surveillance and covert operations. By necessity officers of Internal Affairs have to operate in the shadows, in secret, separated from their fellow officers. Good cops who recognize that the work they do is essential, are happy they don’t have to do the job themselves. But without these brave, honest, and faithful officers, the thin blue line would most certainly collapse from within.

In Blue on Blue: An Insider’s Story of Good Cops Catching Bad Cops, author Charles Campisi, a recently retired chief of the Internal Affairs Bureau for the NYPD recounts his 40-year career of flushing out crooked cops and combating police corruption. With assistance from veteran reporter and journalist Gordon Dillow, Campisi offers a fascinating and illuminating description of his career within the NYPD from a lowly rank and file officer in some of New York City’s most crime ridden precincts to his reluctant acceptance of head of the Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB).

Campisi is honest but cautious about his assessment of his new job post: “as I leave Ray Kelly’s office . . . All I know is that our mission now is to transform Internal Affairs and I know that’s not going to be easy. Because anybody who thinks he’s going to change the way the NYPD handles corruption and misconduct within its ranks has a lot of history to overcome first.”

With aggressive support from superiors, Campisi sought ways to alter the IAB’s bad reputation.
“As far as most cops are concerned, other cops go into IAB for only three reasons: one, they’re cowards or shirkers who are too afraid or lazy to work on the streets; two, they’re rats who jammed up by their own corruption or misconduct and agreed to work for IAB and rat out other cops to save their own skins; or three, they’re zealots who simply get a sick and twisted pleasure out of persecuting cops.”

During Campisi’s 18-year tenure (1996 to 2014) at the IAB the number of people shot, wounded, or killed by cops declined by almost 90 percent, and the number of cops failing integrity tests shrank to an equally startling low. But to achieve these results wasn’t easy, and Campisi had to triple IAB’s staff, hire the very best detectives, and put the word out that bad apples wouldn’t be tolerated. Although he concedes that eliminating all significant police misconduct is virtually impossible, he emphasizes that the majority of cops do their work professionally and honorably.

Campisi’s narrative is thought provoking, and as an ultimate insider he offers the reading public a rare glimpse inside one of the most secretive branches of policing. Within its pages, he recounts the most critical cases that put the IAB to the test and which ultimately helped clean up the department.
Charles Campisi’s Blue on Blue is a compelling behind the scenes account of what it takes to investigate police officers who cross the line between guardians of the public to criminals. It’s a mesmerizing exposé on the harsh realities and complexities of being a cop on the mean streets of New York City and the challenges of enforcing the law while at the same time obeying it. The breadth and depth of experience of the author and his unwavering commitment to justice makes this a refreshing read that will most certainly enthrall true crime enthusiasts and those interested in the history of modern law enforcement and particularly how police misconduct is handled.

Michael Thomas Barry's most recent book is In the Company of Evil: Thirty Years of California Crime, 1950–1980. He is the author of six other nonfiction books and is a columnist for CrimeMagazine.com.