The Scarlet Letter June 24, 2007
Posted by Idta in : Criminal Law, Law Enforcement, MyBooks , trackback
One of the best books I ever read for school was The Scarlet Letter. Although set in colonial times, the public’s angry reaction to the “light” sentence Hester Prynne received (i.e., having to wear a badge of shame for the rest of her life) seems pretty 21st-century.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book, the scarlet “A” stood for adultery. With today’s computerized law-enforcement databases, just being accused of a crime (even if never convicted) permanently brands a person as a potential wrong-doer. That’s why I use a scarlet “A” in the name of this blog.
P.S. Dale C. Carlson wrote a great book on today’s “electronic plantation,” with excellent advice for defense lawyers and their clients:
Arrest-Proof Yourself: An Ex-Cop Reveals How Easy It Is for Anyone to Get Arrested, How Even a Single Arrest Could Ruin Your Life, and What to Do If the Police Get in Your Face
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