Comments On: John Temple's The Last Lawyer by Adam Sobsey

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

free lawyers in new york — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:50:22 -0400

The Last Lawyer grants hope that a less than perfect legal system can be made to work in at least one case, after years of unjustness. I recommened this book for attorneys and non-laywers alike.
Posted by free lawyers in new york

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

MizMolly — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:33:10 -0500

How odd to be chastized by an editor for voicing grievances against the news media! In case said editor has not read the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, it reads that professional journalists should "Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media."
Posted by MizMolly

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

durhamNClawyer — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:09:53 -0500

It is hard for me to understand the cultural editor's contention that Sobsey did not intend to disparage CDPL. As a CDPL attorney, I find Sobsey's baseless accusation that we do not value our clients' humanity to be just about the highest form of insult one could throw at a capital defense lawyer.
Posted by durhamNClawyer

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

LawGal — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:09:35 -0500

It is painfully clear the reviewer knows very little of the legal system or the yoke death penalty work places on defense attorneys. This was a distasteful and uninformed review.
Posted by LawGal

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

durhamNClawyer — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:07:03 -0500

Okay, let's assume this is a "book review," as the editors insist. If so, it is a remarkably poor one.
Posted by durhamNClawyer

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

fairplay — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:24:20 -0500

The Last Lawyer inspired in me nothing but compassion and admiration for the entire defense team. It is puzzling that your paper's reviewer missed the essential fact that Bo Jones was not present at the murder scene and had no involvement whatsoever in the murder.
Posted by fairplay

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

old blue — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:37:11 -0500

I think readers realize that the writer was supposed to do a review of a book and not an article about the case or the lawyers. I also assume that the writer did not set out with the intention of defaming Mr. Rose, CDPL or Mr. Jones.
Posted by old blue

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

durhamreader — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:11:38 -0500

In response to the editor's concern about escalating vitriol, when you attack the integrity of an officer of the court, although under the guise of a mere book review, you invite a strong response. As an attorney at CDPL, I take seriously Sobsey's gratuitous attacks on my colleagues whom I watched, for thankless years, labor on Mr. Jones' behalf.
Posted by durhamreader

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

durham_rules — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:53:58 -0500

It's nice to be told by the Indy that we, the readers, are responsible for misconstruing Sobsey. Rather than his own words.
Posted by durham_rules

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

David Fellerath, Indy Culture Editor — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:35:57 -0500

Before this vitriol escalates any further, there's an essential point that's being obscured and needs to be addressed: Adam Sobsey was asked to read and review a book about Ken Rose and CDPL. He was not asked to write a profile of the organization.
Posted by David Fellerath, INDY Culture & Sports Editor

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

binks — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:35:42 -0500

'Bout par for the sorry status of the INDY. Such a loss to the triangle.
Posted by binks

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

njatty — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:05:40 -0500

I must say that I was completely disappointed in the review of "The Last Lawyer." The inaccuracies and/or distortions in the review are hard to ignore and should not go without comment.
Posted by njatty

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

durham_rules — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:02:01 -0500

"The huge effort reveals that Jones' absolute human value to the CDPL is, like the true identity of the killer, fundamentally unimportant"

What offensive drivel. This article is written as though the author has some inside scoop on the mechanisms of death in this state.
Posted by durham_rules

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

Durhamlaw — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:01:47 -0500

This review is terribly disappointing. The Independent should be ashamed for ignorantly maligning one of the best death penalty attorneys in the country and one of the most effective non-profit organizations in North Carolina.
Posted by Durhamlaw

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

mimigrieb1 — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:28:04 -0500

Adam ,You obviously are completely clueless.Ken Rose can not appeal innnocence.He can only try to stop the state from killing people.Without Ken Rose,Bo Jones would be dead.The point of the book is the system is corrupt and Ken Rose has dedicated his life to stop the injustice.The book pointed that out over and over again but obviously your conservative bias got in the way of objective reporting . Fox news is looking for people like you ,maybe you should move on.
Posted by mimigrieb1

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

sadams7943 — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:14:15 -0500

I haven't read the article but I do know the characeters and either the book or the reviewer are completely off base.

When I met Ken Rose we were participating in a sabbatical program offered by the Z Smith Reynolds Foundation for non-profit workers who REALLY NEEDED A BREAK.
Posted by sadams7943

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

lawprof — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:47:00 -0500

I hate to criticize a fellow reporter, but the lack of professionalism and journalistic integrity behind this review must be addressed. Anyone who has read any of the numerous informed reviews and features about this book knows that Ken Rose submitted to hours and hours of interviews -- and cooperated completely with Temple, an acclaimed journalist and winner of a starred review in Publishers Weekly for The Last Lawyer.
Posted by lawprof

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

raleighreader — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:34:36 -0500

Putting aside the tone of this review and the fact that the reviewer does not have a good understanding of death penalty law (a mental retardation claim is NOT a loophole or a technicality), what I find shocking is that The Independent published an article that falsely calls an exonerated man guilty. Levon Jones was not present at the murder of Leamon Grady and that is why the state dismissed the charges against him.
Posted by raleighreader

Re: John Temple's The Last Lawyer

Publius — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:01:22 -0500

Wow.. I read this book review expecting the standard discussion of the quality of the writing or the story, but instead, I was subjected to an oddly personal attack on a local lawyer and non-profit.
Posted by Publius