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A Reluctant Prosecutor: My Journey Paperback – February 27, 2016
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Creighton's first love was always music, but after college he found himself performing in courtrooms rather than on stages or in concert halls. Inspired by the portrayal of Atticus Finch in the movie To Kill a Mockingbird, he went to law school to become a defense attorney, but his career path took an unanticipated turn.
For nearly three decades, Creighton prosecuted many of Utah's most notorious criminal cases - cases which drew widespread press attention at the time.
Now, in A Reluctant Prosecutor, he recounts his personal journey through Utah's criminal justice system, with some fascinating twists and turns, and some unforgettable characters. You'll read about bombings, murders, political intrigue, public corruption, polygamists, imperious and eccentric judges, capital cases, con men, overreaching cops, venal public officials, and innocent people convicted of murders they didn't commit.
Throughout the book, Creighton explores aspects of the high-profile cases he prosecuted that were never publicly reported, and he delves deeply into the ethical issues surrounding justice, crime and punishment.
What Others Say: "Creighton Horton's account of his life as a prosecutor is a gripping, powerful, and authentic tale that should resonate with all types of readers. Prosecutors are supposed to be ministers of justice but, in my experience, they often fall short of that standard. But Creighton Horton walked the walk. He was one of the most noble prosecutors I have ever met, and his memoir is essential reading for those of us concerned with and committed to justice."
- DANIEL S. MEDWED, author of Prosecution Complex - America's Race to Convict and Its Impact on the Innocent, and Professor at Northeastern University School of Law
"A remarkable story, written by a remarkable person, about what inspires him, what troubles him, and what led him to take up a decades-long career as a prosecutor."
- DAVID SCHWENDIMAN, lead prosecutor of the European Union's Special Investigative Task Force investigating crimes against humanity in Kosovo.
"You'll be hooked instantly by this riveting insider look at prosecutors and their surprising power for good. Wow!"
- BARBARA OAKLEY, author of the New York Times science bestseller A Mind for Numbers, and instructor of Learning How to Learn from Coursera, the world's largest and most popular online course
"This book is a profound look at the internal work of a prosecutor driven by a passion to do justice and make the world a better place."
- MICHAEL D. WIMS, author of How to Try a Murder Case, Pretrial and Trial Guidelines for Prosecution and Defense, and former prosecutor, appellate defense counsel, and judge
"Creighton Horton is a natural -- and national -- leader among prosecutors. His genuine interest in putting fairness, truth, and justice first resonates throughout his memoir and his life. This is a book every criminal justice official and lawyer should read."
- KATIE MONROE, leading innocence advocate, former director of the Rocky Mountain Innocence Center, and current director of the Healing Justice Project
"I have little doubt that my and my family's ordeal ever would have occurred if the Rhode Island State Police's single and focused investigation had landed on Creighton's desk for review."
- SCOTT HORNOFF, former Rhode Island Police Officer, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and sent to prison in 1996, and exonerated six year later when the actual murderer came forward and confessed to the crime
- Print length354 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateFebruary 27, 2016
- Dimensions6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101943190038
- ISBN-13978-1943190034
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Creighton was born and raised in Southern California, went to law school at UCLA, and moved to Utah in the late 1970s. Although he started out with aspirations of being a defense attorney, he was hired by the Salt Lake District Attorney's Office in 1978, and prosecuted cases there for nine years, ending as team leader of the Career Offender Unit, which prosecuted habitual criminals. He was recruited by the Utah Attorney General's Office in 1987, and worked there until he retired in 2009. For seventeen years, he was chief of the Criminal Justice Division, and for two years served as chief of the Violent Crimes and Special Prosecutions Section.
During his career, Creighton handled some of the most noteworthy cases of the day, including capital murder cases and cases involving religious extremists. He specialized in countering mental defenses in homicide cases, where defendants claimed insanity or diminished mental capacity. In addition to his trial work, he worked with the Utah State Legislature, promoting bills to improve the criminal justice system.
Near the end of his career, Creighton became involved in the innocence movement, as DNA testing began exonerating more and more defendants across the country. He promoted legislative reforms in Utah to facilitate DNA testing for inmates who asserted their innocence, and to allow judges to issue orders of exoneration. Later, he worked collaboratively with innocence advocates to pass legislation to allow judges to exonerate defendants in non-DNA cases, where the evidence of innocence was clear. That bill also set up a system to partially compensate wrongfully convicted people for the years they spent in prison.
In addition to innocence legislation, Creighton worked to put in place statewide policies to require police officers to record interviews with suspects, and he spearheaded police and prosecutor training to reduce the possibility of innocent people being caught up in the criminal justice system. In the course of his innocence work, he became friends with several exonerees from around the country - people who had been wrongfully convicted of murders, and later exonerated.
Product details
- Publisher : Wild Ginger Press; 1st edition (February 27, 2016)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 354 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1943190038
- ISBN-13 : 978-1943190034
- Item Weight : 1.05 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,131,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,065 in Lawyer & Judge Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Creighton grew up in Southern California, went to UCLA Law School, and moved to Utah where, for more than thirty years, he prosecuted some of Utah's most high-profile cases, including capital murder cases. He also worked on policies and legislation to improve the criminal justice system, including bills to help exonerate and compensate innocent people who may have been convicted of crimes they never committed.
To visit the official site, visit https://reluctantprosecutor.wordpress.com/
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the insightful perspective and relevant information it provides. Readers describe the pacing as gripping, with an interesting story and compelling storytelling. The memoir is considered a must-read for prosecutors and entertaining for non-lawyers.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book an engaging read that keeps them interested. They describe it as well-written and easy to understand, keeping the reader hooked until the end. The author's insights into his days as a prosecutor are also appreciated.
"...Some parts of the book retain one's interest in the same way the TV show "Forensic Files" does, and other parts wax philosophical --and very..." Read more
"...This book is also an easy read. It would be an ideal book gift for that reason,to those with an interest in crime...." Read more
"Easy to read and insightful into what it really means to be a prosecutor, and why it matters...." Read more
"...It is well written and really sets a tone of some of the issues and ethical dilemmas prosecutors often face...." Read more
Customers find the book insightful and interesting. They appreciate the author's perspective and relevant information. The stories are engaging with mystery, intrigue, and depth. Readers describe the book as an inspirational account that every law student and attorney should read.
"...I believe we have here a very compassionate person who is faced with and must deal with the most cruel and depraved aspects of human nature...." Read more
"Easy to read and insightful into what it really means to be a prosecutor, and why it matters...." Read more
"...He is as he appears in the book: thoughtful, analytical, principled, committed to justice - not just winning." Read more
"...Not a dry recitation of facts, but an intimate look at real people and real cases from a thoughtful man, and the reasons and implications of those..." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and informative. They describe it as a candid memoir written by a prosecutor. The author analyzes real cases from a thoughtful perspective. It provides an honest appraisal of the challenges faced by public prosecutors and is recommended reading for first-year prosecutors.
"...While it is a great book for lawyers, the layman will find it just as gripping and intellectually compelling...." Read more
"...It is not a law book, but helped me understand the role of public attorneys..." Read more
"...He was always level-headed and emphatically analyzed the cases he prosecuted...." Read more
"I highly recommend this book. It is a fascinating look at the "real world" work of the prosecutor as opposed to the highly fictionalized..." Read more
Customers find the book's storytelling engaging, with mystery and intrigue. They describe it as an excellent history of modern Utah legal history and an interesting retrospective by an A-List prosecutor.
"...some pivotal historical moments in modern Utah, and he has a great story to tell...." Read more
"Interesting perspective and re-telling of the events that if you had lived in Utah for more than 20 years, you would recognize the cases...." Read more
"...background, this is an excellent read for anyone interested in compelling stories and insightful commentaries on the criminal justice system and..." Read more
"Creight brings wit and humor in this excellent narrative recounting his work as a renowned prosecutor...." Read more
Reviews with images
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An Interesting Retrospective by an A-List Prosecutor
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2020This book should be required reading for all first year prosecutors. It would be a perfect orientation for them into their duties and ethical responsibilities. I am pleased to have it in my law library, and I have already purchased a copy of it for a good friend of mine who is a jurist in Utah. I read this book after 37 years of legal practice and connected with it on many levels. My own career overlapped with many of the same kinds of issues and cases faced by the author (e.g. cross examination of psychiatric testimony), though my criminal defense days are over and I now work civil matters exclusively. The book is a very interesting examination by the author of his days as a prosecutor and assistant attorney general. The cases he prosecuted were not, by any standard, "run of the mill."
Horton, the author, was fortunate enough to be a pivotal character in the prosecution of many nationally newsworthy criminal actions which were concluded with "guilty" verdicts from the respective juries. Some parts of the book retain one's interest in the same way the TV show "Forensic Files" does, and other parts wax philosophical --and very intelligently so. Refreshingly, along the way the author did not lose track of his ethical duties and considerations. There is a poignant analysis of the death penalty in the book and, though not categorically opposed to it, I find myself philosophically in the same place at which the author arrives. As he struggles for answers, he states at one juncture, "Maybe there is no answer." While not being what we ever want to hear, some of our hardest criminal law issues may, indeed, fall into the realm of the unanswerable. No matter whether one agrees with the author or disagrees, there is no impression conveyed that the author has only lightly considered the issues with which he deals.
The last third of the book is more philosophical and deals with Horton's own efforts to pass and see implemented "Innocence Legislation." I have dealt with prosecutors who are more interested in batting average than the rights of the accused. This is a treatise by an individual that never lost the vision of what was ethically required of a prosecutor.
Alas, I have described this book as if it were written only for lawyers. While it is a great book for lawyers, the layman will find it just as gripping and intellectually compelling. I have given the book the highest rating possible because I have not read a better retrospective by any prosecutor of such an incredible career. And, moreover, Horton in telling his story never comes across as egotistical or condescending. Indeed, it is his humble demeanor that keeps his career so ethically sound.
5.0 out of 5 starsThis book should be required reading for all first year prosecutors. It would be a perfect orientation for them into their duties and ethical responsibilities. I am pleased to have it in my law library, and I have already purchased a copy of it for a good friend of mine who is a jurist in Utah. I read this book after 37 years of legal practice and connected with it on many levels. My own career overlapped with many of the same kinds of issues and cases faced by the author (e.g. cross examination of psychiatric testimony), though my criminal defense days are over and I now work civil matters exclusively. The book is a very interesting examination by the author of his days as a prosecutor and assistant attorney general. The cases he prosecuted were not, by any standard, "run of the mill."An Interesting Retrospective by an A-List Prosecutor
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2020
Horton, the author, was fortunate enough to be a pivotal character in the prosecution of many nationally newsworthy criminal actions which were concluded with "guilty" verdicts from the respective juries. Some parts of the book retain one's interest in the same way the TV show "Forensic Files" does, and other parts wax philosophical --and very intelligently so. Refreshingly, along the way the author did not lose track of his ethical duties and considerations. There is a poignant analysis of the death penalty in the book and, though not categorically opposed to it, I find myself philosophically in the same place at which the author arrives. As he struggles for answers, he states at one juncture, "Maybe there is no answer." While not being what we ever want to hear, some of our hardest criminal law issues may, indeed, fall into the realm of the unanswerable. No matter whether one agrees with the author or disagrees, there is no impression conveyed that the author has only lightly considered the issues with which he deals.
The last third of the book is more philosophical and deals with Horton's own efforts to pass and see implemented "Innocence Legislation." I have dealt with prosecutors who are more interested in batting average than the rights of the accused. This is a treatise by an individual that never lost the vision of what was ethically required of a prosecutor.
Alas, I have described this book as if it were written only for lawyers. While it is a great book for lawyers, the layman will find it just as gripping and intellectually compelling. I have given the book the highest rating possible because I have not read a better retrospective by any prosecutor of such an incredible career. And, moreover, Horton in telling his story never comes across as egotistical or condescending. Indeed, it is his humble demeanor that keeps his career so ethically sound.
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2017I was lucky enough to spend a day with Mr Horton and his family and when he mentioned his book,I ordered it that evening. I finished two other books I was reading as I realized that I wished to concentrate solely on this book.
I greatly enjoyed it. I enjoy biographies like this as all too frequently in life a person will end up in a place as the result of a series of unlikely circumstances.
To summarize my thoughts on the book. I believe we have here a very compassionate person who is faced with and must deal with the most cruel and depraved aspects of human nature. Thankfully most people can go through life without encountering evilness but it does fall on some to deal with it, have evildoers be brought to answer, and try to ensure a civil society. Then the book takes an uplifting turn towards the end. The author is instrumental in getting legislation passed in Utah to assist those who were wrongfully convicted of crimes. This man served justice, but I felt his paramount task was actually to prevent an injustice.
This book is also an easy read. It would be an ideal book gift for that reason,to those with an interest in crime. I certainly am glad I met this man and later read his book.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2016Easy to read and insightful into what it really means to be a prosecutor, and why it matters. It is not a law book, but helped me understand the role of public attorneys (which, up to now, has been colored primarily by old murder mystery shows like Matlock, where it seems that a prosecutor's job is to regularly file incorrect charges).
Despite being titled "A Reluctant Prosecutor," his reluctance in becoming and being a prosecutor is not the focus of the book. Within a chapter he explains any initial reluctance he had, and through-out the rest of the book he describes his work as a prosecutor.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2016I interned at the Utah Attorney General's Office when I was in law school (graduated 2005). My internship experience really ignited my desire to be a prosecutor. Creighton was a great mentor and example of what a true prosecutor should be. He was always level-headed and emphatically analyzed the cases he prosecuted. This book illustrates not only the type of prosecutor Creighton was, but what all prosecutors should aspire to.
Even if I did not work with Creighton, I would still give this book 5 stars. It is well written and really sets a tone of some of the issues and ethical dilemmas prosecutors often face. What is great about the stories is that most people will find Creighton's experiences truly entertaining - you don't have to be a lawyer or prosecutor to like it.
I have been a prosecutor for 10+ years now, and also have tried some major crimes including several murder, rape, and child molestation cases. Although I do have some extremely interesting stories about my cases, I doubt my career will have anything near a lasting impact on the justice system as Creighton's has.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2016I very much enjoyed Mr. Horton's book. For me, part of the interest was his discussion of his involvement with a number of prominent cases that we in Utah followed closely at the time that they were in court. However, I believe that a much wider audience would be interested in the book because of Mr. Horton's candid discussion about the issues that prosecutors face, the way that prosecutors interact with law enforcement personnel, the extra pressure on prosecutors handling capital cases, and the worry of prosecutors about the possibility of helping to convict an innocent person.
It is also very interesting to read about the evolution of Mr. Horton's thinking over the years and his eventual involvement in getting innocence legislation passed and helping to promote innocence training.
I greatly enjoyed the book and enthusiastically recommend it.
Phil
Top reviews from other countries
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on October 29, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative and interesting read.
I liked the author's style of writing, and the casual but captivating way he draws the reader in.
His understanding of the law, familiarity with the courtroom experience, and use of the 'jargon' keeps you invested in the read.
Bonni