The Fourteenth Juror

""Amy Louise Sortino was arrested and charged with murder on the same day the O.J. Simpson trial started-January 24, 1995. Unlike Simpson, her case did not receive national attention. She was just another of the more than 1,000,000 people incarcerated in the USA that year. Eighteen years old and pregnant, she was up against the all-powerful government seeking to put her in prison for life for a crime she did not commit. The Fourteenth Juror: One Woman's Story of Survival, Silence, and Systemic Injustice is an important story, as are all stories of wrongful arrest and incarceration. Each one teaches us about the system, its flaws, and the need to do better. Amy's story is no exception. It pulls no punches as it takes you on a traumatic journey. It is also a call for reform. As she says, 'Justice isn't a headline. It's a responsibility. And it belongs to all of us.'"" - Justin Brooks, Author of You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent ""Amy Sortino takes us on a very important journey in The Fourteenth Juror. This is a journey that she took through pain, trauma, abuse, incarceration, and restoration. Many people who have had experiences like Amy would run away from the system because they were acquitted and set free, but this drew Amy into the fight. She saw and felt the injustices that were done. She couldn't sit by and allow people to be run over by the legal system. She has been fighting for loved ones and even those who have caused trauma and hurt to her family. That is what a true advocate does-not just fight for your loved ones, but fight for everyone. Reading this book will give you a picture of a system that needs to be recreated and focus on actual rehabilitation and restoration. This type of vulnerability allows the reader to experience the pain, hurt, and heartache. This book is not for the faint of heart and why there are trigger warnings; but it will make you want to get out and make changes when you finish reading it."" - David Garlock, National Justice Reform Advocate, Speaker, and Survivor ""Gripping and gut-wrenching, The Fourteenth Juror is a powerful memoir that lays bare one woman's harrowing fight against a justice system that nearly silenced her and challenges us all to rethink what true freedom-and true justice-really look like."" - NewInBooks