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BOOK REVIEW: WHAT JUSTICE LOOKS LIKE

by AMANDA A. PAGE, ESQ.

“The two cases discussed in What Justice Looks Like provide the foundation for Damren to posit that for the justice system to work, all parts must work in unison. He gives insight into his trial strategies and case management both as a prosecutor and in his role as defense attorney. Damren explains why he called certain witnesses to the stand, how their testimony would help support his case, and the risks those witnesses took by coming forward. He exposes the underbelly of the justice system where police misconduct can lead to a wrongful conviction and the code by which criminals live. He brings to life how bystanders can become collateral damage both to criminal acts and to the justice system itself.

What Justice Looks Like piqued my curiosity regarding the seemingly basic concept of justice, largely due to Damren’s ability to put the reader into the mind of Burgess and the injustice worked on Davontae Sanford. His behind-the-scenes look at the justice system allows the reader to understand what it takes for the system to work—and what it looks like when it doesn’t. What Justice Looks Like also gives the reader an appreciation of how razor thin the difference can be between cases working out as they should and cases not working out as they should.”

in book form: former prosecutor offers ‘what justice looks like’

by LINDA Laderman

“Damren’s double perspective, as a prosecutor and a defense attorney, is woven throughout his book, as he recounts his involvement in the Burgess and Sanford cases.

“The two cases combined were interesting bookends to my career,” Damren said. “My role in each gave me a certain credibility to speak about the criminal justice system. In the Burgess case, I was the prosecutor in a heinous crime. In Davantae’s case, I could talk about what happens when the system gets it wrong. When it does, it’s a test of the courage and strength of the system itself.”

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