How to Try a Murder: The Handbook for Armchair Lawyers

Two socially prominent people—a man and a woman—are found murdered. Her estranged husband is accused of the crime and indicted. But the real drama is only just beginning…. For sheer human interest, nothing else in real life equals a good murder trial. Yet how many of us follow the latest courtroom spectacle with fascination, without knowing the ins and outs of how a murder trial is conducted? In How to Try a Murder, noted crime writer Michael Kurland delves into the art and craft of a murder trial, using a fictional narrative and real-life stories to illustrate each step of the process, from the discovery of the body, to trial procedures and strategy, to the conviction and sentencing. This engrossing look at our legal system includes explanations of the various elements of a trial, including:

• the amount and kind of evidence needed to make an arrest
• the purpose of the grand jury
• defense strategy and prosecution tactics
• the criteria attorneys use when selecting a jury
• examination and cross-examination of witnesses
• what a jury must consider when rendering a verdict

Readers intrigued by true crime will find court documents and questionnaires from the headline-grabbing trials of O.J. Simpson, Theodore Kaczynski, Timothy McVeigh, and Erik and Lyle Menendez, as well as anecdotes from America's "trials of the century," including those of Sacco and Vanzetti, Bruno Hauptmann, Dr. Sam Sheppard, and others. Whether you're an armchair attorney or a murder maven, How to Try a Murder gives everything you need to prosecute, defend, render a verdict, and pronounce sentence on the trial of the moment. Visit our website at http://www.mcp.com/mgr/macmillan