Trial

Reading Trial: The Inside Story is like simultaneously watching a court case on TV and hearing the inner thoughts of the participants.

"This case is going to take you on a journey into an underground world."--Prosecutor Leemie Kahng

"The burden of proof is always on the prosecution."--Defense Attorney Glen Garber

Over one third of high school students don't know basic civics. Here is an exciting way to teach them America's system of justice. Susan Kuklin, whose nonfiction books for young readers have won many awards, gives readers the inside story of a dynamic contemporary court case and uses exclusive interviews with all the participants to explain what happened.

Kuklin had unparalleled access to the prosecution, the defense, the judge, and even, after the case, the jury in a dramatic case involving a kidnapping ring in New York's Chinatown. First, the prosecution describes a plot in which hard men try to take advantage of defenseless immigrants, beat them and extort thousands of dollars from their impoverished families. Then the defense takes us behind the scenes of the shadowy deals struck in jail where criminals might turn on anyone to bargain for lighter sentences. In intimate interviews, Kuklin learns what motivates the tough Korean-immigrant prosecutor and the die-hard liberal defense attorney and uses every explosive courtroom exchange to clearly explain legal concepts such as hearsay evidence, leading witnesses, presumption of innocence and admissibility of evidence. With every twist and turn of the judge's rulings, readers will be on the edge of their seats, wondering who will win the case while simultaneously becoming their own legal experts.

This engaging story of the law at work provides a hands-on way to learn about our courts and laws for young readers who stage mock trials at school or watch cases on TV.