Access granted!
Historically, the more educated and wealthy have the most access to knowledge about the law and the
legal process. Many low-income, urban and rural youth don’t have that access. And, more and more youth from middle and high-income families are finding themselves in unanticipated trouble with the law. Some of their bad decisions are calculated, but many uninformed (or misinformed) youth commit criminal acts unknowingly. They end up on the wrong side of the law because they don’t have the right information. When the Cops Come Knockin’ breaks down those wealth and resource barriers and grants access to knowledge of criminal law to everyone.
Click here to read some alarming criminal law facts and trends about today’s youth and teens
The law can be overwhelming and intimidating—leaving everyday people
ignorant of its ins and outs. Legal mumbo jumbo with terms like “omission,” “provocation” and “willful blindness,” don’t resonate with non-legal experts with everyday parents, youth and teens. But while the understanding of these terms is uncommon, the impact of their meanings is very common, and ignorance of the
law is no defense to punishment.
When the Cops Come Knockin’ fills the void where parents, youth and teens
need user-friendly and culturally-relevant information about criminal law, presented in a format that makes the law practical and accessible for everyday people.
The book’s unique approach
Presented in a comic-book style, When the Cops Come Knockin’: An Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law is complete with a cast of relatable characters and written in everyday urban prose. The book positions serious content and “true to life” situations with the very real, life-altering consequences of landing on the wrong side of the law.
The book features scenarios, language and reasoning that meets youth on their terms, presented in a way that is unconventional, but effective for reaching these groups.
What readers will learn
Parents, teens, youth, youth leaders and other readers can expect to gain legal clarification, discover practical tips, obtain expert legal perspective and view examples regarding the most common and the least-known criminal law issues, including such points as:
- You CAN be charged with a crime for breaking the law even if there is no way you could have known it would cause a criminal result.
- You can be legitimately charged with a crime for NOT doing anything at all
- The distinct differences between burglary, robbery and assault that could make a big difference in sentencing.
- The reality of guilt by association, and how many people are charged with crimes just by being associated with someone who commits a crime.
How to deal, and more importantly how NOT to deal, with police officers in law enforcement situations.
Preview the Illustrated Guide
