The Prisoner at the Bar: Sidelights on the Administration of Criminal Justice

A courtroom insider's overview of how criminal cases proceed in busy urban courts, tracing routine stages from arrest and preliminary hearing through trial, verdict, and sentencing. The narrative contrasts sensational press portrayals with everyday practice, explains the roles and interactions of police, magistrates, prosecutors, judges, juries, and evidence, and addresses practical problems such as judicial appointments and procedural inefficiencies. Chapters combine procedural explanation, illustrative examples drawn from experience, and a focused discussion of legal questions like the treatment of insanity to illuminate strengths and weaknesses in the administration of criminal justice.