Courts, Trial Practice, Legal History, American Supreme Court, Supreme Court, Cases 

"The Mother Court is the first book to chronicle the mid-twentieth century history of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, the most influential trial court in the United States, written from the perspective of a litigator who has tried many cases before some of its most iconic judges. It gives first hand insight into the evolution of the US justice system - where it has been, where it is now, and where it is going - while providing a ringside seat at some of the most famous cases that went down in the Mother Court, including: the trials of Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs; the 'Pizza Connection' case, the longest criminal trial in American history; libel cases involving Ariel Sharon and Time magazine, General Westmoreland and CBS, and others; government obscenity suits against James Joyce's Ulysses and the film Deep Throat; the indictment of Osama bin Laden in the Southern District of New York, culminating in the government's switched decision to try KSM, the evil architect of the 9/1 hijackings, before a military commission in Guantanamo. The Mother Court also gives the reader a taste of what the storied judges of the second half of the 20th century - Weinfeld, Murphy, Mansfield, Tyler, Motley, and Palmieri, to name just a few - were all about, how they thought, how they judged, and why they were and are the worthy keepers of the United States justice system. Running through The Mother Court is also the story of how the author came of age as a lawyer under the direction of Robert M. Morgenthau, the legendary prosecutor, who also has written the foreword. This is a must-read for all lawyers old and new, anyone involved in the criminal justice system, legal history buffs, and even those with merely a passing interest in the law looking for an insightful, entertaining, and illuminating read about the greatest trial court in the country"--Unedited summary from book jacket. 

Content:
Of the mother court -- Bob Morgenthau : the boss -- I, the jury -- The lost art of cross-examination -- U.S. v. us : the Red Scare -- U.S. v. sex -- U.S. v. the press and the remarkable career of Judge Murray I. Gurfein -- U.S. v. the mob -- U.S. v. official corruption -- U.S. v. the accountants -- Of the libel cases -- U.S. v. Roy M. Cohn -- U.S. v. them -- Some of my favorite judges -- The court today -- Conclusion. 

Includes bibliographical references and index.