Minds on Trial: Great Cases in Law and Psychology

by Charles Patrick Ewing, Joseph T. McCann

In recent years, the public has become increasingly fascinated with the criminal mind. Television series centered on courtroom trials, criminal investigations, and forensic psychology are more popular than ever. More and more people are interested in the American system of justice and the individuals who experience it firsthand.

Minds on Great Cases in Law and Psychology gives you an inside view of 20 of the highest profile legal cases of the last 50 years. Drs. Ewing and McCann take you "behind the scenes" of each of these cases, some involving celebrities like Woody Allen, Mike Tyson, and Patty Hearst, and explain the impact they had on the fields of psychology and the law. Many of the cases in this book, whether involving a celebrity client or an ordinary person in an extraordinary circumstance, were determined in part by the expert testimony of a psychologist or other mental health professional. Psychology has always played a vital role in so many aspects of the American legal system, and these fascinating trials offer insight into many intriguing psychological issues. In addition to expert testimony, some of the issues discussed in this entertaining and educational book include the insanity defense, brainwashing, criminal profiling, capital punishment, child custody, juvenile delinquency, and
false confessions.

In Minds on Trial , the authors skillfully convey the psychological and legal drama of each case, while providing important and fresh professional insights.

Mental health and legal professionals, as well as others with an interest in psychology and the law will have a hard time putting this scholarly, yet readable book down.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, True Crime, Law, Legal, School, Mental Health

304 pages, Hardcover

First published February 17, 2006

Reviews

[Amal Jacob]

Very insightful read. It was eye-opening to see not only the vast influence that psychology has had in some of the most important court cases in recent history, but also the sheer amount of contention between these experts. Some prefer to remain objective, some may prefer to stay out of the courtroom; others are employed by either the defense or prosecution, and some even act as “hired guns” for their side. All of these court cases were incredibly interesting and difficult to judge, even with various expert testimonials. Comparing the psychological perspective to the judicial perspective (via concurring & dissenting opinions) was especially enlightening, as it reveals a tension rooted in their intrinsically conflicting priorities - the former often veering towards academic doubt, and the latter requiring a legal decision.

Having been written in 2006, I would love to see an updated edition featuring the past two decades. I look forward to exploring further into the intersection of these legal, psychological, and philosophical problems.

[Lauren]

This was a recommended book for my Forensic Psychology class. The author did a fantastic job compiling 20 different and unique cases in forensic psychology. Totally not the type of book I usually read, but interesting nonetheless.

[Helen]

I had high expectations for this book and was, sadly, disappointed. The problem mainly lies in two areas: the breadth of cases covered and the attention given to the trials of celebrities. Any one of the cases described could have been the subject of a book all on there own and so the lack of depth and analysis is consequently frustrating.

Nevertheless this is a very interesting summary of the position of psychology within twenty famous cases although by their very nature as being famous cases they are exceptional and as so, a general understanding of psychology's use within the mass of more anonymous cases is difficult to discern.

Overall this was a disappointing book and disappointing because the subject has such potential.

[Jeremy]

A top read on my favorites list. The book gives a detailed account of some of the most intriguing cases of the century. I read this book on vacation and couldn't put it down. Chapter after chapter it captures your attention with detail that makes you feel like you were at the trial.

[Dee Sims]

It was good. No cap in the rap

It was required to read for my class, BUT it was very informative. It was intriguing to say the least. It was a good read :) I chose the rating because it would have been barbaric and fucking boring loool but it wasn’t! If you’re teacher recommend this book he actually cares and wanted you to be interested and it’s easy to retain

[Rin]

snapshot of 20 of the most prolific cases over the last few decades that present various issues courts have had to face

a bit outdated but a cool indication of how fast the world changes, having been published in 2006

[Alyssha Nadeau]

Had to read for college

[Azara]

A pretty interesting read. It's not too long, but has an interesting collection of cases.

[David]

Informative and entertaining but ultimately a bit disappointing, Minds on Trail: Great Cases in Law and Psychology is true crime in Cliffs Notes form with an emphasis on court cases that hinged on expert psychological testimony. Authors Charles Patrick Ewing and Joseph T. McCann, both psychologists, run through a greatest hits collection that includes Lee Harvey Oswald, Patty Hearst, Dan White, John Hinckley, John Demjanjuk, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Andrea Yates among their twenty cases. If true crime fans have a complaint, it will likely be that in some instances Ewing and McCann may not tell them much that they don't already know. My only complaint is that I expected a bit more substance from two experts writing for Oxford University Press. In their epilogue, Ewing and McCann ask what we can learn from the twenty cases they have discussed, and their answer is . . . not much.

[Ray Cavanaugh]

Minds on Trial offers incisive yet dispassionate commentary on a diverse sampling of infamous U.S. court cases ranging from Mad-bomber Metesky, to the “Twinkie Defense” case, to Dahmer the cannibal, to alleged Judas Priest subliminal messages.

I can get bored/annoyed pretty quick, and out of 20 or so cases/chapters there wasn’t a single one that failed to engage me.

I’m surprised this book hasn’t garnered more notoriety, for it’s as entertaining as it is intelligent. Recommended for people interested in law, crime, psych, or media frenzy.

[Lauren]

It was a very interesting read. It looks at the role psychology has played in criminal cases. It is also interesting because the cases that it covers range from child custody, murder, and serial murder and explains the myths, realities and conflicts behind concepts such as repressed memories and the twinky defense. If you like stories on crime or on psychology this book is worth a read. It is informative and well written.

[Miles Darcey]

This book give very short summaries of many cases that changed legislation or changed popular opinion of psychology's influence on law. The summaries of these amazingly important cases are so short and each of these cases can and do have entire books dedicated to them that describe the same incidents better. This is more like cliff note versions of important cases. They are still very interesting cases though.

[Fishface]

This was a fairly good discussion of a lot of cases that should have been more interesting, but somehow it fell flat. The authors listed all the different conclusions offered in court by different experts in various cases, usually without trying to come up with any sort of final answer or insight to pull the opposing viewpoints together into something that made sense.

[Fawaz Ali]

This is a great book that explains the interaction of law and psychology. The writers have picked up 20 of the most interesting legal cases. I found the book to be enlightening and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in law or psychology.

[Weasel]

Very interesting read - good range of cases and clear and fair description of facts and the influence of psychology on each case.

All but one case are US - interesting as someone who studied English & Welsh law, to see some aspects of the US legal system.

[Alejandra]

The cases in this book made the book a lot more interesting. Even from cases that I already was aware of, it gave so much more information that helped gather all the information I needed for class assignments.

[Tanya Hurst]

This was a great book. The cases were interesting and it kept me engrossed the entire time. I definitely recommend it.

[David Corleto-Bales]

Psychological profiles of major bad guys throughout contemporary history, from Lee Harvey Oswald to Jeffrey Dahmer.