Courts and Criminals

"Courts and Criminals" by Arthur Cheney Train is a compilation of essays from the early 1900s that examines the tricky parts of the American legal system, mostly when it comes to crime and people's rights. The collection looks at how laws work in real life and the clashing duties of cops and judges, showing the delicate act of keeping people safe while also protecting their freedoms in a just society. Readers are introduced to a situation involving a young man wrongly targeted by police, sparking discussion about the idea of innocent until proven guilty and the rights everyone should have. Train discusses the effects of these kinds of wrongs, pointing out a troubling trend of mistreating people before they're even found guilty, and questions why the legal system lets these things happen. The author argues that even though laws are meant to protect everyone, they're carried out by people who make mistakes, which causes problems and moral questions in law enforcement. The beginning of "Courts and Criminals" prepares the reader for a close study of the criminal justice system's flaws and the basic rights that are so important to keeping American society fair.