title: The Courthouse Tales: A Primer into the American Criminal Justice System
author: S. L. Licenter
description: The author is an experienced practitioner of the criminal law who views his craft from an irreverent perspective. He has assembled these tales in order to present to the reader an accurate portrayal (at least in the author's point-of-view) of the criminal justice system.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](index-3_1.jpg)
  
  
  **ROBERT**
  
  
  **HEILBRUN**
  
  
  _For Laura_
  
  
  **Contents**
  
  
  [One ](index_split_004.html#p13)
  
  
  SAY YOUR LIFE BREAKS DOWN, or your
  
  
  luck goes bad,...
  
  
  1
  
  
  [Two](index_split_004.html#p21)
  
  
  "THE PEOPLE of the State of New York
  
  
  against Damon...
  
  
  9
  
  
  [Three ](index_split_004.html#p30)
  
  
  AMERICANS LIKE their courtrooms
  
  
  open--it's right there in the Constitution--"a... 18
  
  
  [Four](index_split_004.html#p38)
  
  
  WHEN DAMON CAME OUT to stand before
  
  
  Judge Everett, the...
  
  
  26
  
  
  [Five ](index_split_004.html#p44)
  
  
  DEATH CAME to Charlotte King on the
  
  
  sidewalk in front...
  
  
  32
  
  
  [Six](index_split_004.html#p51)
  
  
  THE NEW YORK COUNTY Public Defender's
  
  
  Office is a big...
  
  
  39
  
  
  [Seven ](index_split_004.html#p59)
  
  
  KEVIN LAYDEN was leaning back in his
  
  
  huge chair, feet...
  
  
  47
  
  
  [Eight](index_split_004.html#p67)
  
  
  RIKERS ISLAND is New York City's local
  
  
  jail and also,...
  
  
  55
  
  
  [Nine](index_split_004.html#p75)
  
  
  THE SERGEANT WHO had supervised the
  
  
  crime scene on T