In The Shadow Of Death

Sheila M. Rothman documents a fascinating story. Each generation had its own special view of the origins, transmission, and therapy for the disease, definitions that reflected not only medical knowledge but views on gender obligations, religious beliefs, and community responsibilities. In general, Rothman points out, tenacity and resolve, not passivity or resignation, marked people's response to illness and to their physicians.

The press called Martin's actions a "crime spree." Already convicted of armed robbery, Martin was facing the death penalty. In less than two weeks the jury would decide his fate. Terrified that his son would be sentenced to die, Phillip did the only thing he felt he could do: in an act of faith and desperation in his garage with the car exhaust running, Phillip made the consummate sacrifice to spare his son the ultimate punishment. Ironically, his suicide presented Martin's with another chance at life; the jury, moved by Martin's loss, spared his life. Phillip's story-like those of the other parents, siblings, children, and cousins chronicled in this book-vividly illustrates the precarious position family members of capital offenders occupy in the criminal justice system. At once outsiders and victims, they live in the shadow of death, crushed by trauma, grief, and helplessness. In this penetrating account of guilt and innocence, shame and triumph, devastating loss and ultimate redemption, the voices of these family members add a new dimension to debates about capital punishment and how communities can prevent and address crime. Restorative justice theory, which views violent crime as an extreme violation of relationships; searches for ways to hold offenders accountable; and meets the needs of victims and communities torn apart by the crime, organizes these narratives and integrates offenders' families into the process of transforming conflict and promoting justice and healing for all. What emerges from hundreds of hours' worth of in-depth interviews with family members of offenders and victims, legal teams, and leaders in the abolition and restorative justice movements is a vision of justice strongly rooted in the social fabric of communities. Showing that forgiveness and recovery are possible in the wake of even the most heinous crimes, while holding victims' stories sacred, this eye-opening book bridges the pain of living in the shadow of death with the possibility of a reparative form of justice. Anyone working with victims, offenders, and their families-from lawyers and social workers to mediators and activists-will find this riveting work indispensable to their efforts.

"Former NFL star Kermit Alexander tells the ... true story of the ... massacre of his family and his subsequent years of despair, followed by a spiritual renewal that showed him a way to rebuild his family and reclaim his life"--Amazon.com.

For those with a life-threatening medical condition or terminal illness, facing their own mortality is an urgent concern. This indispensable guide offers sound advice on everything from accepting death as a part of life, legal issues, and funeral planning to the difficult spiritual questions asked regarding terminal illness and life after death.

True Stories of Convicts Facing the Death Penalty A RARE GLIMPSE INTO THE COMPLEX MINDS OF KILLERS. In the Shadow of Death is a retired CID chief’s quest to understand the psyche of death row prisoners. In this chilling account, D. V. Guruprasad delves deep into the world of crime to uncover who these convicts are and how they view the charges against them. In India, capital punishment is awarded only in the ‘rarest of rare’ cases; the gruesome murders covered in this book will convince you that they fit the description. Criminals featured in this book are as varied as they can come and so are their crimes: a serial killer who targeted young women, a savage gang that terrorized a metropolis, a runaway woman who took to murder as an easy way to survive, a constable with a deadly fetish … As these prisoners stare death in the face, do they experience the crippling “death row syndrome”? Do they fear the impending execution and the uncertainty about their final day on earth? Do they regret their past deeds? There’s also the view from the other end of the rope—a peek into a hangman’s typical preparations before a hanging—making this a gripping read. “The impairment of reality sense, the lack of thought for the future, the denial of unpleasant facts and possibilities, an almost delusional belief in his own cleverness and ability to escape detection are characteristic of many criminals.” MELITTA SCHMIDEBERG, Psychologist

Yea though I Walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death had to be written. It is a heart-wrenching account of a woman’s road through her own personal anguish and back, one that could be written only by the person who experienced it. It describes how she lived through the death of her infant daughter, a fire that totally destroyed her home and its contents, the suicide of her 21-year-old son, the killing of her 25-year-old son, the subsequent trauma, called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that followed, and her return to stability. Such a listing doesn’t capture Chris’s journey. Though not a professional writer, she has allowed us to enter her world, with all of its twists and turns, moments of sadness and despair, and finally, the peace that comes from emerging on the other side. She has a guileless honesty that won’t let you go. No doubt thousands of people have shared some of Chris’s experiences— few, if any, to her degree—but fewer still have her ability to capture that experience in a way that makes her experiences their own. Kevin Burne, Ph.D.

Rūdolfs Blaumanis's 1899 short story masterpiece, based on a contemporary newspaper account, tells of several fishermen lost at sea after the ice floe on which they work calves off and drifts away rapidly. One by one, the thirteen men and a boy must deal with the creeping reality that they may not see the mainland -- or their loved ones -- again. There is fish to eat, and two horses if necessary, but the very surface of the floe is eroding steadily ... and the nights are cold and terrible. Without ever moralising or over-elaborating, Blaumanis coolly and efficiently observes the state of each of the main characters in turn, whether natural leaders, optimists, craven opportunists, terrified, stoic, compassionate or alienated. In the shadow of encroaching death, each must come to some kind of reckoning.

"Anyone who cares about capital punishment should read this compelling, lucid account of the obstacles defense attorneys face and the strategies they adopt." --John Parry, University of Pittsburgh School of Law "With its compelling narratives of cases, strategies, and ethical dilemmas, Litigating in the Shadow of Death is difficult to put down. . . . This pathbreaking book encapsulates the experience of the most respected capital defenders in America and shows how they save even the worst of the worst from execution. It also shows how sleeping and otherwise incompetent lawyers bring death sentences to their clients. Litigating in the Shadow of Death explores the lawyers' tasks at every stage of the criminal process--investigation, client interviewing, conferring with victims' families, plea bargaining, trial, appeal, and post-conviction proceedings." --Albert W. Alschuler, Julius Kreeger Professor of Law and Criminology, University of Chicago "A unique and profoundly important contribution to the literature on the death penalty. White allows the leading capital defense attorneys to speak in their own voices. His work reveals a new source of arbitrariness in the death system--whether the penalty is imposed turns more on who is your lawyer than on how evil was your deed or your character. Litigating in the Shadow of Death offers concrete guidelines for better lawyering, protection of the innocent, and understanding the artistry of the best capital attorneys. This is vivid, gripping stuff." --Andrew Taslitz, Professor of Law, Howard University "A most illuminating book by a splendid writer and an eminent critic of the capital punishment system." --Yale Kamisar, Professor of Law, University of San Diego "Welsh White has written another excellent book on the death penalty--this one on how defense attorneys in capital cases successfully prevent the state from executing their clients. Based on original research, Litigating in the Shadow of Death is informative and insightful. This is a book that all serious students of American capital punishment must read." --Richard Leo, University of California, Irvine Welsh S. White was Bessie McKee Walthour Endowed Chair and Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh.