Book Review of Richard K. Sherwin, When Law Goes Pop

Abstract:     
When Law Goes Pop is the first book-length appraisal of the impact of the portrayal of the criminal justice system on the legal system itself written by a legal theorist. Sherwin encourages readers to consider the long-term consequences of this relationship, in particular the creation of a culture of skeptical postmodernism, which has a corrosive effect on the criminal justice system. The author is well aware of the width and breadth of the connection between the two fields, and his knowledge of both postmodern philosophical theory and law yields great insight into the problems he discusses.

Keywords: book review, Richard K. Sherwin, When Law Goes Pop, postmodernism, poststructuralism, Baudrillard, Habermas, skepticism, popular culture, criminal justice, mass media, popular trials

JEL Classification: K14

Accepted Paper Series