Overview

The conventional wisdom says that most of Lincoln's practice involved collecting debt and representing railroads; that he only practiced law as a platform for his political career; that criminal law was only a minuscule part of his practice; and that he was particularly bad at defending homicide cases. A survey of Lincoln's murder cases demonstrates that he was first and foremost a trial lawyer, that the trial of criminal cases was an important part of his practice, and that he was not only a very good criminal trial lawyer, he was very capable of defending murder cases. Dekle devotes a chapter to each of Lincoln's well-documented criminal cases, paying particular attention to homicide cases. He consolidates cases for which we have little reference material into a single chapter and ends with an overall assessment of Lincoln as a criminal trial lawyer.

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9780809335978

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Reviews

Perhaps the most impressive quality of Dekle's work is that, by challenging the traditional narratives of Lincoln's criminal career, he highlights the ordinariness and humanity of Lincoln as a trial lawyer. He shows us that Lincoln was simply an attorney doing his best for his clients--sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Prairie Defender reveals not only Lincoln's trial skill but also intimate insights into the lives of the accused and the operation of frontier justice. It is as much a compelling portrait of nineteenth century society as an analysis of Lincoln's practice and reminds us that he was, after all, a country lawyer at heart. --Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society With over sixteen thousand books published about Abraham Lincoln is there need for another? Emphatically yes! And this contribution to understanding Lincoln proves it. The author describes succinctly that Lincoln was a first-rate attorney, especially in criminal cases. While murder cases were not a large part of his practice, Lincoln's defense of those charged with murder demonstrates that he was skilled in the art of cross-examination and clever in convincing juries. Much of this proficiency came from his empathy--putting himself in the place of another and experiencing what they were feeling. This noble and effective quality in Lincoln's character is shown repeatedly in this volume. --Frank J. Williams, retired chief justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and founding chair of the Lincoln Forum Not just an important addition to Lincoln legal literature, this book is a must read for all lawyers, Lincoln historians, and legal scholars. Dekle relates the stories of Lincoln's major homicide cases in scholarly detail and provides anecdotal background to the trials, describing life in the nineteenth century. A lawyer himself, Dekle is able to analyze Lincoln's trial work in a way that will enable the modern lawyer to understand those trials, and his superb writing will make the book enjoyable to all readers regardless of their legal interests. --Travis H. D. Lewin, professor emeritus, Syracuse University Only an experienced criminal lawyer could have written this engaging book. The case-by-case study of Lincoln's murder trials is not a rehash of earlier volumes about Lincoln the lawyer. It is an original, in-depth analysis of Lincoln's trial strategies, tactics, and techniques that offers fresh insights into his ability as a trial lawyer. This book is a must read for anyone interested in evaluating Lincoln as a trial attorney. --Guy C. Fraker, author, Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth Judicial Circuit Prairie Defender is an impressively researched, exceptionally well written, informatively organized and presented work of seminal scholarship. The result is a unique and singular study that will prove to be an outstanding and appreciated contribution to community and academic library 19th Century American History collections, in general, and Abraham Lincoln supplemental studies reading lists in particular. Highly recommended. ---Willis M. Buhle, in Midwest Book Review The author thrives in his legal analysis. His chapter on the Goings case, in particular, shines...this is an engaging and interesting book that effectively demonstrates that Lincoln was indeed a successful criminal lawyer. More importantly, it illustrates a clear evolution in Lincoln's skill as an attorney in general. --John A. Lupton, executive director of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission

With over sixteen thousand books published about Abraham Lincoln is there need for another? Emphatically yes! And this contribution to understanding Lincoln proves it. The author describes succinctly that Lincoln was a first-rate attorney, especially in criminal cases. While murder cases were not a large part of his practice, Lincoln's defense of those charged with murder demonstrates that he was skilled in the art of cross-examination and clever in convincing juries. Much of this proficiency came from his empathy--putting himself in the place of another and experiencing what they were feeling. This noble and effective quality in Lincoln's character is shown repeatedly in this volume. --Frank J. Williams, retired chief justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and founding chair of the Lincoln Forum Not just an important addition to Lincoln legal literature, this book is a must read for all lawyers, Lincoln historians, and legal scholars. Dekle relates the stories of Lincoln's major homicide cases in scholarly detail and provides anecdotal background to the trials, describing life in the nineteenth century. A lawyer himself, Dekle is able to analyze Lincoln's trial work in a way that will enable the modern lawyer to understand those trials, and his superb writing will make the book enjoyable to all readers regardless of their legal interests. --Travis H. D. Lewin, professor emeritus, Syracuse University Only an experienced criminal lawyer could have written this engaging book. The case-by-case study of Lincoln's murder trials is not a rehash of earlier volumes about Lincoln the lawyer. It is an original, in-depth analysis of Lincoln's trial strategies, tactics, and techniques that offers fresh insights into his ability as a trial lawyer. This book is a must read for anyone interested in evaluating Lincoln as a trial attorney. --Guy C. Fraker, author, Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth Judicial Circuit Prairie Defender is an impressively researched, exceptionally well written, informatively organized and presented work of seminal scholarship. The result is a unique and singular study that will prove to be an outstanding and appreciated contribution to community and academic library 19th Century American History collections, in general, and Abraham Lincoln supplemental studies reading lists in particular. Highly recommended. ---Willis M. Buhle, in Midwest Book Review The author thrives in his legal analysis. His chapter on the Goings case, in particular, shines...this is an engaging and interesting book that effectively demonstrates that Lincoln was indeed a successful criminal lawyer. More importantly, it illustrates a clear evolution in Lincoln's skill as an attorney in general. --John A. Lupton, executive director of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission

With over sixteen thousand books published about Abraham Lincoln is there need for another? Emphatically yes! And this contribution to understanding Lincoln proves it. The author describes succinctly that Lincoln was a first-rate attorney, especially in criminal cases. While murder cases were not a large part of his practice, Lincoln's defense of those charged with murder demonstrates that he was skilled in the art of cross-examination and clever in convincing juries. Much of this proficiency came from his empathy--putting himself in the place of another and experiencing what they were feeling. This noble and effective quality in Lincoln's character is shown repeatedly in this volume. --Frank J. Williams, retired chief justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and founding chair of the Lincoln Forum Not just an important addition to Lincoln legal literature, this book is a must read for all lawyers, Lincoln historians, and legal scholars. Dekle relates the stories of Lincoln's major homicide cases in scholarly detail and provides anecdotal background to the trials, describing life in the nineteenth century. A lawyer himself, Dekle is able to analyze Lincoln's trial work in a way that will enable the modern lawyer to understand those trials, and his superb writing will make the book enjoyable to all readers regardless of their legal interests. --Travis H. D. Lewin, professor emeritus, Syracuse University Only an experienced criminal lawyer could have written this engaging book. The case-by-case study of Lincoln's murder trials is not a rehash of earlier volumes about Lincoln the lawyer. It is an original, in-depth analysis of Lincoln's trial strategies, tactics, and techniques that offers fresh insights into his ability as a trial lawyer. This book is a must read for anyone interested in evaluating Lincoln as a trial attorney. --Guy C. Fraker, author, Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth Judicial Circuit Prairie Defender is an impressively researched, exceptionally well written, informatively organized and presented work of seminal scholarship. The result is a unique and singular study that will prove to be an outstanding and appreciated contribution to community and academic library 19th Century American History collections, in general, and Abraham Lincoln supplemental studies reading lists in particular. Highly recommended. ---Willis M. Buhle, in Midwest Book Review

With over sixteen thousand books published about Abraham Lincoln is there need for another? Emphatically yes! And this contribution to understanding Lincoln proves it. The author describes succinctly that Lincoln was a first-rate attorney, especially in criminal cases. While murder cases were not a large part of his practice, Lincoln's defense of those charged with murder demonstrates that he was skilled in the art of cross-examination and clever in convincing juries. Much of this proficiency came from his empathy--putting himself in the place of another and experiencing what they were feeling. This noble and effective quality in Lincoln's character is shown repeatedly in this volume. --Frank J. Williams, retired chief justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and founding chair of the Lincoln Forum <p/> Not just an important addition to Lincoln legal literature, this book is a must read for all lawyers, Lincoln historians, and legal scholars. Dekle relates the stories of Lincoln's major homicide cases in scholarly detail and provides anecdotal background to the trials, describing life in the nineteenth century. A lawyer himself, Dekle is able to analyze Lincoln's trial work in a way that will enable the modern lawyer to understand those trials, and his superb writing will make the book enjoyable to all readers regardless of their legal interests. --Travis H. D. Lewin, professor emeritus, Syracuse University <p/> Only an experienced criminal lawyer could have written this engaging book. The case-by-case study of Lincoln's murder trials is not a rehash of earlier volumes about Lincoln the lawyer. It is an original, in-depth analysis of Lincoln's trial strategies, tactics, and techniques that offers fresh insights into his ability as a trial lawyer. This book is a must read for anyone interested in evaluating Lincoln as a trial attorney. --Guy C. Fraker, author, Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth Judicial Circuit

Author Information

For thirty years, George R. Dekle, Sr., worked as an assistant state attorney in the Third Judicial Circuit of Florida, where he prosecuted hundreds of homicide cases, and for the past ten years he served as the director of the prosecution clinic at the University of Florida Law School. He is the author of The Last Murder: The Investigation, Prosecution, and Execution of Ted Bundy and Abraham Lincoln's Most Famous Case: The Almanac Trial.

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