Adam Liptak Series
in the New York Times
Adam Liptak is the New York Times' Legal Correspondent. Read his series on American Justice in the Times. Articles in this series examine commonplace aspects of the American justice system that are virtually unique in the world.
Liptak was recently interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air. This interview is available here.
Also, see the NYTimes Interactive Graphic on the World and the US Prison Populations
Individual Parts of the Series:
Lifers as Teenagers, Now Seeking Second Chance
The U.S. stands alone in the world in convicting adolescents as adults and sentencing them to life. - October 17, 2007
Serving Life for Providing Car to Killers
An American legal doctrine makes accomplices as liable as the killer for murders committed during felonies. - December 4, 2007
Illegal Globally, Bail for Profit Remains in U.S.
Bail bondsmen, who post bail for people accused of crimes in exchange for a fee, are all but unknown outside the U.S. - January 29, 2008
Foreign Courts Wary of U.S. Punitive Damages
For most of the rest of the world, allowing separate awards meant to punish the defendant is a terrible idea. - March 26, 2008
Inmate Count in U.S. Dwarfs Other Nations
The U.S. has less than 5 percent of the world’s population but almost a quarter of its prisoners. - April 23, 2008
Rendering Justice, With One Eye on Re-election
While most of the world tries to insulate judges from popular will, many in the United States are elected. - May 25, 2008
Unlike Others, U.S. Defends Freedom to Offend in Speech
As more countries move to ban or restrict hate speech, some legal scholars say the U.S. should reconsider the broad scope of First Amendment protection. - June 12, 2008
U.S. Is Alone in Rejecting All Evidence if Police Err
No other country goes as far as the U.S. in excluding evidence from trials because of official misconduct. July 19, 2008
In U.S., Expert Witnesses Are Partisan
Unlike in American courts, in most of the rest of the world expert witnesses are selected by judges and are meant to be neutral. - August 12, 2008