NCJ Number
125973
Date Published
1986
Length
250 pages
Annotation
Written by nonlawyers, this text presents the consumer's viewpoint of how the legal system can be improved to save millions of dollars without eroding the rights of either the public or the offenders.
Abstract
The discussion argues that even people who have not been robbed, assaulted, or sued by someone have suffered by paying higher taxes and higher insurance rates as a result of the currently expensive and inefficient system. It gives examples of how the legal system is abused by frivolous lawsuits, legislators who pass poorly conceived laws, irresponsible lawyers, jurists who seek social goals, courts that do not demand restitution, and the release of dangerous criminals by corrections officials. It also recommends ways for citizens to take action to stop court abuses, provide restitution to victims, remove unnecessary legal procedures, use alternative justice programs, reform penal practices, and make the legal system fair and affordable. Illustrations, chapter notes, and index.