Anatomy of a Jury

Acclaimed author and respected attorney Seymour Wishman takes readers behind closed jury-room doors for an eye-opening exploration of American justice

In autumn 1982, in the affluent New Jersey community of Glen Ridge, a woman is found brutally murdered in her home. The victim’s distraught husband points police to a likely perpetrator: an African American handyman with a criminal record. A search of the suspect’s home reveals nothing, but still the man is indicted for the crime. His ultimate fate is to be determined by “a jury of his peers”—twelve strangers with no special legal skills or training and a fervent desire to do what is right.

Based on an actual criminal investigation and trial, Seymour Wishman’s Anatomy of a Jury carries us from the crime scene to the courthouse to the jury room, providing a fascinating, in-depth look into the nation’s criminal justice system. Riveting, detailed, and intensely dramatic, Wishman’s remarkable book offers provocative insights into how we administer justice, how we judge others, and how others may judge us.