Most Popular Books by Catherine Crier

In this #1 New York Times bestseller, Catherine Crier, a former judge and one of television''s most popular legal analysts, offers a riveting and authoritative account of one of the most memorable crime dramas of our time: the murder of Laci Peterson at the hands of her husband, Scott, on Christmas Eve 2002. Drawing on extensive interviews with key witnesses and lead investigators, as well as secret evidence files that never made it to trial, Crier traces Scott''s bizarre behavior; shares dozens of transcripts of Scott''s chilling and incriminating phone conversations; offers accounts of Scott''s womanizing from two former mistresses before Amber Frey; and includes scores of never-before-seen police photos, documents, and other evidence. The result is thoroughly engrossing yet highly disturbing -- an unforgettable portrait of a charming, yet deeply sociopathic, killer.

In October 2002, Susan Polk, a housewife and mother of three, was arrested for the murder of her husband, Felix. The arrest in her sleepy northern California town kicked off what would become one of the most captivating murder trials in recent memory, as police, local attorneys, and the national media sought to unravel the complex web of events that sent this seemingly devoted housewife over the edge. Now, with the exclusive access and in-depth reporting that made A Deadly Game a number one New York Times bestseller, Catherine Crier turns an analytical eye to the story of Susan Polk, delving into her past and examining how over twenty years of marriage culminated in murder. Tracing the family''s history, Crier skillfully maneuvers the murky waters of the Polk''s marriage, looking at the real story behind Susan, Felix, and their unorthodox courtship. When Susan was in high school, Felix, who was more than twenty years her senior, had been her psychologist, and it was during their sessions that the romantic entanglement began. From these troubling origins grew a difficult marriage, one which produced three healthy boys but also led to disturbing accusations of abuse from both spouses. With extraordinary detail, Crier dissects this dangerous relationship between husband and wife, exposing their psychological motivations and the painful impact that these motivations had on their sons, Adam, Eli, and Gabriel. Drawing on sources from all sides of the case, Crier masterfully reconstructs the tumultuous chronology of the Polk family, telling the story of how Susan and Felix struggled to control their rambunctious sons and their disintegrating marriage in the years and months leading up to Felix''s death. But the history of the Polk family is only half the story. Here Crier also elucidates the methodical police work of the murder investigation, revealing never-before-seen photos and writings from the case file. In addition, she carefully scrutinizes the many twists and turns of the remarkable trial, exploring Susan''s struggles with her defense attorneys and her shocking decision to represent herself. Dark, psychological, and terrifying, Final Analysis is a harrowing look at the recesses of the human mind and the trauma that reveals them.

WHY WE NEED THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH The noise from both Washington and the media is deafening, the deeds of our lawmakers alarming. America needs a break from the posturing and the politicking. We need information: how we got here and where we are headed. Catherine Crier, one of the most respected figures in television journalism, presents an incisive, unbiased analysis of America’s political crisis—delivering a message we cannot afford to ignore. America must move beyond political parties to invest in our nation’s future. Not just with money, but with vision, wisdom, and reason. Looking back at the foundations of our country, from Adam Smith to Alexander Hamilton, from Jefferson to Roosevelt, Crier cuts through the nonsense to show what really works and doesn’t work for our nation today, including: • The staggering disconnect between the financial health of corporations and the well-being of consumers that defies everything Adam Smith wrote about free enterprise. • The role that government must play in regulations and job creation—and how the Republican Party’s anti-government rhetoric would appall the founders of American conservatism. • Why our health care system is not the best in the world, but the most mismanaged and bloated, and how to change it. • How today’s vitriolic, partisan politics are in direct opposition to the very democracy on which our country is founded. *** Americans love our country deeply, and when told we’re losing it, nothing can stop us from fighting. But there seems to be a lot of confusion these days about the mission. What exactly did the Founders establish? What is now at risk, and what must be done to preserve the Republic? . . . Our Founders created a constitutional government that would protect and promote a free and diverse society. Those who argue otherwise are misleading you intentionally or are ignorant of historical facts. As a patriot, I believe that our founding principles and system of governing are not negotiable. We must recognize the difference between honest debate over policies and philosophy and those measures that skew or upend our extraordinary system for partisan advantage. Such tactics may produce short-term gains, but in the end, everyone loses. —From Patriot Acts

THE EMMY AWARD-WINNING HOST OF COURT TV’S "CATHERINE CRIER LIVE" DESCRIBES AN AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEM DANGEROUSLY OUT OF CONTROL – AND FINDS THE LAWYERS GUILTY AS CHARGED. As a child, Catherine Crier was enchanted by film portrayals of crusading lawyers like Clarence Darrow and Atticus Finch. As a district attorney, private lawyer, and judge herself, she saw firsthand how the U.S. justice system worked – and didn’t. One of the most respected legal journalists and commentators today, she now confronts a profoundly unfair legal system that produces results and profits for the few – and paralysis, frustration, and injustice for the many. Alexis de Tocqueville’s dire prediction in Democracy in America has come true: We Americans have ceded our responsibility as citizens to resolve the problems of society to "legal authorities" – and with it our democratic freedoms. The Case Against Lawyers is both an angry indictment and an eloquent plea for a return to common sense. It decries a system of laws so complex even the enforcers – such as the IRS – cannot understand them. It unmasks a litigation-crazed society where billion-dollar judgments mostly line the pockets of personal injury lawyers. It deplores the stupidity of a system of liability that leads to such results as a label on a stroller that warns, “Remove child before folding.” It indicts a criminal justice system that puts minor drug offenders away for life yet allows celebrity murderers to walk free. And it excoriates the sheer corruption of the iron triangle of lawyers, bureaucrats, and politicians who profit mightily from all this inefficiency, injustice, and abuse. The Case Against Lawyers will make readers hopping mad. And it will make them realize that the only response can be to demand change. Now.

Discusses how right-wing groups have utilized their considerable political and financial resources to influence the appointments to the federal court system of judges who agee with their conservative agenda.

In October 2002, Susan Polk, a housewife and mother of three sons, was arrested for the murder of her husband, Felix. This book traces the family''s history, and manoeuvres the murky waters of the Polk''s marriage, looking at the story behind Susan, Felix, and their unorthodox courtship.