From Publishers Weekly
A controversial New York City judge (dubbed "Turn 'em Loose Bruce" by tabloid critics), Wright here presents an attack on the criminal court system that is certain to infuriate many. His major contention is that, in a system where most judges are white and most defendants black, judges are "ignorant of and indifferent to the debased reality of those who are judged." The book, a hodgepodge of autobiographical experiences and reflections, is so poorly organized that Wright never fully develops his argument. Instead, he offers random accounts of painful racial episodes that he has experienced or observed in the courtroom and elsewhere. Topics range from relations between blacks and Jews, to conflicts with New York City police over his lenient bail policies. Recalling his days as a young lawyer with the "naive ideal" that he could help blacks, Wright is pessimistic and half-hearted in suggesting that better education of potential judges in racial aspects of U.S. history might improve the situation depicted here. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Black Robes, White Justice: Why Our Legal System Doesn't Work for Blacks FROM THE PUBLISHER
As a lawyer and criminal court judge, Bruce Wright has seen, first-hand, the disturbing truth about how fundamentally unfair our judicial system is toward African Americans. In this important book, he takes a hard look at these inequities, documenting them with numerous cases drawn from his years of experience in the courts. With unflinching honesty, he tackles such controversial subjects as the deep-seeded societal prejudices of white judges, the lack of black judges, the long history of excluding blacks from law schools and bar associations, the practice of setting higher bail for black defendants, the anti-black biases of white jurors, and the black defendant's limited access to quality legal representation. Judge Wright also addresses the abuse of police power against blacks, the dehumanizing conditions in jails populated primarily by blacks, and the way that death penalty convictions discriminate against blacks. Finally, he proposes remedies that must be taken if the courts are truly to become a place of justice for all. Timely and relevant, Black Robes, White Justice is a book that every American should read in order to understand one of the most important issues of our time.