An essential introduction to the use and misuse of language within the criminal justice system, updated for a new generation.
Does everyone understand the Miranda warning? Why do people confess to a crime they did not commit? Can linguistic experts identify who wrote an anonymous threatening letter? Since its first publication, Speaking of Crime has been answering these questions. Introducing major topics and controversies at the intersection of language and law, Lawrence M. Solan, Peter M. Tiersma, and Tammy Gales apply multidisciplinary insights to examine the complex role of language within the US justice system.
The second edition features in-depth discussions of recent cases, new legislation, and innovative research advances, and includes a new chapter on who interprets the laws governing linguistic contexts. Thoroughly updated and approachable, Speaking of Crime is a state-of-the-art survey that will be useful to scholars, students, and practitioners throughout the criminal justice system.
By:
Lawrence M. Solan,
Peter M. Tiersma,
Tammy Gales
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: Second Edition
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 30mm
Weight: 567g
ISBN: 9780226640402
ISBN 10: 022664040X
Series: Chicago Series in Law and Society
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 06 May 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Primary
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Preface to Second Edition Part I A Good Time to Study the Language of Criminal Justice 1. Language and the Criminal Law 2. Linguistics in the Law Part II Gathering the Evidence 3. “Consensual” Searches 4. Understanding Miranda 5. Interrogation, Confession, and the Right to Counsel Part III Linguistic Evidence in Court 6. Exact Words 7. Who Said That? 8. Who Wrote That? Part IV Crimes of Language 9. Solicitation, Conspiracy, Bribery 10. Threats 11. Perjury and Other Illegal Lies Part V The Interpretation of Criminal Laws 12. Interpreting Criminal Laws 13. Recommendations and Reflections Acknowledgments Notes Author Index Subject Index
Lawrence M. Solan (1952–2024) was the 1901 Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus at Brooklyn Law School. Peter M. Tiersma (1952–2014) was professor at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Tammy Gales is professor of linguistics at Hofstra University, New York.