Gerald F. Uelmen – författare

Lawyers and non-lawyers alike fell delightedly on the authors’ previous collection of ridiculous excerpts from actual court cases. Now Rodney R. Jones and Gerald F. Uelmen return with an all-new assortment of unintentionally amusing incidents from legal cases of all kinds, including folly in the Supreme Court itself.

This assortment of unintentionally amusing courtroom exchanges ranges from the testimony of expert witnesses to jury selection to cross examination to creative defense, closing argument, and sentencing — a rollicking guide to America's legal system.

This is the first biography of Stanley Mosk (1912-2001), iconic protector of civil rights and civil liberties during his 37 years as a justice of the Supreme Court of California (1964 to 2001). He had quickly risen as a well liked leader among Los Angeles reformers, as executive secretary to California governor Culbert Olson and then 16 years as a superior court judge. His 1958 election and service as state attorney general soon won national attention and the promise of likely election to the U.S. Senate, but an unexpected campaign twist augured a new course. This book frames Mosk's Supreme Court years and the landmark cases in which his opinions or biting dissents continue to resonate.

Leading off with the O. J. Simpson trial, the author assembles reflections on each phase of his legal career, including being a law school dean and professor, Supreme Court advocate for medical marijuana, critical observer of the criminal justice system, opponent of the death penalty, and executive director of the California study of wrongful convictions, as well as on more personal thoughts about ethical issues. Distinguishing reflections from ruminations, he ends each section with his current take on various proposed reforms of the justice system.