From 1932 to 2003, the New York Court of Appeals-the highest court in the state- decided crucial cases pertaining to the social and legal issues of the day. The judges' rulings affected laws regarding motion picture censorship; obscenity, indecency, and immorality; religion; capital punishment; torts; the right to control personal medical care; and abortion. This comprehensive history completes a two volume series that began with The History of the New York Court of Appeals, 1847-1932. Each case is richly recounted and analyzed, detailing the decisions and dissenting opinions. Short biographies are provided for the judges who served during this period, and changes in the selection of judges, as well as the court's jurisdiction, are thoroughly explained. Particular to this volume, the authors provide the legal, social, and political contexts for these cases, showing how the law has evolved over time. They examine the court's view concerning its constitutional power to respond to an economic emergency during the Great Depression; they outline cases in which the judges ruled on the government's role in legislating morals and morality; and they focus on the evolution of the court's opinions regarding statutory interpretation, judicial federalism, censorship, constitutional reform, criminal law and capital punishment, rules of evidence, education, family law, and antitrust and labor law.

From 1932 to 2003, the New York Court of Appeals-the highest court in the state- decided crucial cases pertaining to the social and legal issues of the day. The judges' rulings affected laws regarding motion picture censorship; obscenity, indecency, and immorality; religion; capital punishment; torts; the right to control personal medical care; and abortion. This comprehensive history completes a two volume series that began with The History of the New York Court of Appeals, 1847-1932. Each case is richly recounted and analyzed, detailing the decisions and dissenting opinions. Short biographies are provided for the judges who served during this period, and changes in the selection of judges, as well as the court's jurisdiction, are thoroughly explained. Particular to this volume, the authors provide the legal, social, and political contexts for these cases, showing how the law has evolved over time. They examine the court's view concerning its constitutional power to respond to an economic emergency during the Great Depression; they outline cases in which the judges ruled on the government's role in legislating morals and morality; and they focus on the evolution of the court's opinions regarding statutory interpretation, judicial federalism, censorship, constitutional reform, criminal law and capital punishment, rules of evidence, education, family law, and antitrust and labor law.

The Oxford Handbook of New York State Government and Politics brings together top scholars and former and current state officials to explain how and why the state is governed the way that it is. The book's thirty-one chapters assemble new scholarship in key areas of governance in New York, document the state's record in comparison to other U.S. states, and identify directions for future research.

Patrick Henry Jones's obituary vowed that "his memory shall not fade among men." Yet in little more than a century, history has largely forgotten Jones's considerable accomplishments in the Civil War and the Gilded Age that followed. In this masterful biography, Mark H. Dunkelman resurrects Jones's story and restores him to his rightful standing as an exceptional military officer and influential politician of nineteenth-century America. Patrick Henry Jones (1830-1900), a poor Irish immigrant, began his career in journalism before gaining admittance to the New York bar. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Jones volunteered for service in the Union Army. He rose steadily through the ranks of the 37th New York, became general of the 154th New York, and eventually attained the rank of brigadier general. Jones was one of only twelve native Irishmen ever to attain that rank in the federal forces. When the war ended, Jones's reputation as a military hero gave him an entry into politics under the mentorship of editor Horace Greeley and politician Reuben E. Fenton. He served in both elective and appointed offices in the state of New York, navigating the corruptions, scandals, and political upheavals of the Golden Age. Ultimately, his entanglement with one of the most sensational crimes of his era-a high-profile grave-robbing from the cemetery of St. Mark's Church-tainted his name and ruined his once-respectable career. In the first full-length biographical account of this important figure, Patrick Henry Jones tells the quintessentially American story of an immigrant who overcame both his humble origins and the rampant xenophobia of mid-nineteenth-century America to achieve a level of prominence equaled by few of his peers.

What makes a great judge? How are reputations forged? Why do some reputations endure, while others crumble? And how can we know whether a reputation is fairly deserved? In this ambitious book, Richard Posner confronts these questions in the case of Benjamin Cardozo. The result is both a revealing portrait of one of the most influential legal minds of our century and a model for a new kind of study—a balanced, objective, critical assessment of a judicial career. "The present compact and unflaggingly interesting volume . . . is a full-bodied scholarly biography. . . .It is illuminating in itself, and will serve as a significant contribution."—Paul A. Freund, New York Times Book Review

The Story of One of the Most Remarkable Trials in All History! Sensational trials--the Menendez brothers, the Rodney King case, the Preppie Murder--are not unique to the age of television. The year 1900 saw one of the most dramatic criminal trials in American history, described by one newspaper at the time as America's most remarkable murder case. When William Marsh Rice, the founder of Rice University, was found dead in the New York City quarters he shared with his only servant, suspicion immediately fell on Albert Patrick, a young lawyer. Rice, whose fortune was pledged to Rice Institute (later Rice University), had, it seemed, been killed by chloroform poisoning and his will forged to give Patrick his vast estate. Patrick was immediately arrested and, in a spectacular trial, tried for first-degree murder, a crime then punishable by execution. In this combination murder mystery and murder history, Martin Friedland recounts the events leading up to the trial and the case as it played itself out in court. Skillfully guiding the reader through the trial and its outcome, Friedland sheds new light on the events, casting doubt on what, at first glance, seems an ironclad case. Provocatively illustrated with over 60 photographs that capture the circumstances of the trial and the mood of New York City at the turn of the century, The Death of Old Man Rice is not only a gripping tale of murder and intrigue, but a timely window onto many aspects of criminal justice in America. Touching on issues of great contemporary relevance-- such as the influence of the popular press; the purchase of expert witnesses; the problems of multiple appeals; the inadequacy of penal institutions; and the advantages of wealth--Friedland combines scholarship with suspense in his trademark who done it style. A murder mystery, a historical study, and a fascinating window into the world of forensic science, The Death of Old Man Rice is that rare book that can engage any reader.

"This book fills a major gap in the literature of the law and of American history.

This fully updated new edition of The New York State Constitution provides an outstanding constitutional and historical account of the state's governing charter. In addition to an overview of New York's constitutional history, it provides an in-depth, section-by-section analysis of the entire constitution, detailing the many significant changes that have been made since its initial drafting. This treatment, along with a table of cases, index, and bibliography provides an unsurpassed reference guide for students, scholars, and practitioners of New York's constitution. The New York State Constitution provides ready access to material that will help scholars, judges, lawyers, students and the general public to understand the historical background to the New York Constitution, the intent of the framers, and the evolution and current meaning of its provisions. The Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United States is an important series that reflects a renewed international interest in constitutional history and provides expert insight into each of the 50 state constitutions. Each volume in this innovative series contains a historical overview of the state's constitutional development, a section-by-section analysis of its current constitution, and a comprehensive guide to further research. Under the expert editorship of Professor G. Alan Tarr, Director of the Center on State Constitutional Studies at Rutgers University, this series provides essential reference tools for understanding state constitutional law. Books in the series can be purchased individually or as part of a complete set, giving readers unmatched access to these important political documents.

First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.