SKU: 48364660083

Defending the Damned: Inside a Dark Corner of the Criminal Justice System

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Defending the Damned: Inside a Dark Corner of the Criminal Justice SystemChicago was the nation's deadliest city in 2001, recording 666 homicides. For lawyers in the Cook County Public Defender's Office Murder Task Force, that meant a steady flow of new clients. Eight out of ten people arrested for murder in Chicago are represented by public defenders. They're assigned the most challenging and seemingly hopeless cases, yet they always fight to win. One of those lawyers is Marijane Placek, a snakeskin boot wearing,

Chicago was the nation's deadliest city in 2001, recording 666 homicides. For lawyers in the Cook County Public Defender's Office Murder Task Force, that meant a steady flow of new clients. Eight out of ten people arrested for murder in Chicago are represented by public defenders. They're assigned the most challenging and seemingly hopeless cases, yet they always fight to win.

One of those lawyers is Marijane Placek, a snakeskin boot-wearing, Shakespeare-quoting nonconformist whose courtroom bravado and sharp legal skills have made her a well-known figure around the courthouse. When an ex-convict was arrested on charges of killing a Chicago police officer that deadly year, Placek got the high-profile case, and her defense forms the hub around which the book's narrative revolves.

Veteran journalist Kevin Davis reveals the compelling true story of a team of battle-scarred lawyers fighting against all odds. Unflinching, gripping, and full of surprises, Defending the Damned is an unforgettable human story and engaging courtroom drama where life and death hang in the balance. Davis explores the motives that compel these lawyers to come to work in this dark corner of the criminal justice system and exposes their insular and often misunderstood world.

This groundbreaking work comes at a time when the country has seen how wrongful convictions have slipped through the system, that innocent people have been sent to death row, and that some police have lied or coerced suspects into confessing to crimes they did not commit. Such flaws drive these public defenders even harder to do their jobs, providing scrutiny to a long ignored and often broken system.

Davis's reporting offers an unvarnished account of public defenders as never seen before. A powerful melding of courtroom drama and penetrating truecrime journalism, Defending the Damned is narrative nonfiction at its finest.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: 09/02/2008
ISBN: 9780743270946
Pages: 308
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.90d
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SKU: 48364660083

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Char
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
First toy he CANNOT destroy in minutes!!!
Color: Comet - Small, Size: Small, Color: Comet - Small, Size: Small
Only ball he has not destroyed in minutes!!! So good that I purchased a second one for travel. It keeps him busy and tires him out because he cannot break it!😆
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Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2026
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Eden Reads Books
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 4
Sort of good for tough chewers??
Color: Deep Roots Carrot - Small, Size: Small Dog
The actual carrot part (orange part) is tough chewer approved and my dog loves. It’s basically the same shape and size as his kong. However the leaves (green part) is not tough chewer approved. He ripped ALL those leaves off and ate them within 5 minutes of me giving him the toy. However they passed through him fine.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2025
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JessicaSB
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
Aggressive chewer puppy approved
Color: Cinamutt Roll - Large, Size: Large
My aggressive chewer puppy loves this. It is pretty sturdy. He hasn't destroyed it yet and he's had it for over 3 months now.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2026
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Jordan
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 1
Pieces off in minutes.
Color: Origin - Large, Size: Medium/Large Dog
My pup chewed pieces off in minutes.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2026
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Amazon Customer
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 3
Pretty hard to clean
Color: Cinamutt Roll - Large, Size: Large
We've had this for about a week now. I have 2 dogs, one small one about 55lb. I bought this for my big girl, but lil man is determined to get the best of this toy. Usually they don't both go after the same toys, so this is interesting. The trouble is, neither one of them can get all the treats out if something makes it all the way down into the crevice. It's surprisingly deep. The up side is that they'll try for quite a while before giving up. The down side is even if you put it in the top rack of the dishwasher, something stuck deep in there isn't going anywhere until you dig it out yourself. I tried a plastic knife but it broke the second time I used it in there. I wound up using the metal handle of a reusable straw cleaner. Which then I had to wash that, too. Then it needs to dry overnight before it can be used again. All in all, the dogs like it fine, it's gross to scrape out and wash, takes longer than most toys to dry, and I have the feeling that will eventually cause me to pass it to someone else's dog long before my two have gotten tired of it. At this point I'm pulling out of the toy rotation for a week or two because I'm not ready to clean it a third time.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2024

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