- Illinois Justice
- The Scandal of 1969 and the Rise of John Paul Stevens
- Kenneth A. Manaster
- With a Foreword by Justice Stevens
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- Publication date: 28 September 2001 ISBN 0-226-50243-0
cloth $27.50 £17.50
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- Illinois political scandals reached new depths in the
1960s and ë70s. In Illinois Justice, Ken Manaster takes us behind
the scenes of one of the most spectacular. The so-called Scandal of 1969
not only spelled the end of an Illinois Supreme Court chief justiceís
aspirations to the U.S. Supreme Court, but also marked the beginning of
lawyer John Paul Stevensís rise to the High Court.
- In 1969, citizen gadfly Sherman Skolnick accused the
chief justice and another Illinois Supreme Court justice of accepting valuable
bank stock from an influential Chicago lawyer in exchange for deciding
an important case in the lawyerís favor. The feverish media coverage
that resultedóa scandalous story in its own right, as Manaster revealsóprompted
the state supreme court to appoint a special commission to investigate.
Within six weeks and on a shoestring budget, the commission gathered a
small volunteer staff and revealed the true facts. Stevens, then a relatively
unknown Chicago lawyer, served as chief counsel. His work on this investigation
would launch him into the public spotlight and onto the bench.
- Manaster, who served on the commission staff, tells the
real story of the investigation, detailing the dead ends, tactics, and
triumphs. At the heart of the book is the tense courtroom drama that unfolded
in July 1969. Manaster traces Stevensís masterful courtroom strategies,
and vividly portrays the high-profile personalities involved (almost every
member of the Illinois Supreme Court took the stand), as well as the subtleties
of judicial corruption.
- With a reflective foreword by Justice Stevens himself,
Manasterís book is both a fascinating chapter of political history
and a revealing portrait of the early career of a Supreme Court justice.
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- ìWhile Illinois has had its share of political
scandals, this one has all the elements necessary for high drama. Manaster
is in an ideal position to identify and probe fully all of the available
sources for this sordid, but fascinating, chapter in Illinois political
and legal history. Illinois Justice is a story tautly told, and one worth
telling.î
- óAbner J. Mikva, retired Chief Judge,
- U. S. Court of Appeals, D. C. Circuit
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- Kenneth A. Manaster practiced law in Chicago from 1968
to 1972, including service as an Illinois Assistant Attorney General. He
is a professor of law at Santa Clara University.
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- CONTACT: Betsy Solaro, 773-702-7898 fax 773-702-9756
bsolaro@press.uchicago.edu
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