Book detail
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Scoundrels to the Hoosegow: Perry Mason Moments and Entertaining Cases From the Files of a Prosecuting Attorney Author: Morley Swingle Published: April 1, 2007 by University of Missouri Press Category: True Crime/Humor/Legal Studies Main Character: Morley Swingle The public prosecutor has more control over life, liberty and reputation than any person in America. In Scoundrels to the Hoosegow, a veteran prosecutor who has handled more than 70 homicide cases shares thirty entertaining true crime stories drawn from his career, re-creating, with verve and wit, the villains, heroes and scoundrels he has encountered. Some of his stories are tragic, others are hilarious, but all offer a behind-the-scenes look at the criminal justice system from the prosecutor's side of the courtroom. In stories featuring a reluctant hitman, a psychotic juror, a forgetful drunk, a spiked milkshake, a titillating tape, a dog on death row, an appearance on Oprah, and a lawyer who liked to expose more than his briefs, Morley Swingle combines true crime and legal analysis with a healthy dose of humor, while sharing an occasional "Perry Mason moment," where a trial was won by a scintillating bit of drama. Not since Robert Traver wrote Small Town D.A. has an American prosecutor penned such a candid, revealing and funny account of the job. Edgar Award Winner Vincent Bugliosi says of Scoundrels: "Morley Swingle's Scoundrels to the Hoosegow is not only consistently fascinating, but there is much to be learned from it about life in and out of an American courtroom. It is excellent. I highly recommend this engrossing book to the general reader and, in particular, to members of the prosecutorial profession." The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said: "Mark Twain almost surely would have enjoyed this book." ForeWord Magazine wrote: "The author is a terrific writer and an even better entertainer. Lawyers and non-lawyers alike will enjoy being along for this informative and entertaining trip to the hoosegow." |
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