“We at Southern Poverty Law Center always knew the truth about which Spence writes. Too often the poor and middle class are brutalized and killed by the police in this 'land of the free,' and Spence offers solutions America must listen to.” Morris Dees, President, Southern Poverty Law Center
“In his celebrated career Gerry Spence has not met a criminal that he didn't like or who was not the victim of police or judicial malfeasance. This book revisits his most celebrated cases, some of which represented law enforcement at its worst. It is written with passion, some literary license, and from the fascinating perspective of his interviews with his clients. While I disagree that we are marching towards a police state, Mr. Spence reminds us that no system is perfect. It demands vigilance and people like him to test it.” Judge Judy
“A riveting account from the front lines of Gerry Spence's lifelong battle against injustice. He defines the thin line between the policeman and the criminal from his own experience, and it's disturbing and convincing.” William Friedkin, Academy Award-winning director
“Obama said, 'This has been going on for a long time.' So, too, says Spence. Spence both exposes the old and proposes the new in ways that may well surprise and satisfy.” Harrison Ford
“Gerry Spence's shocking experiences with rogue, killer police in his own cases prove his point, and he offers insightful new solutions that could assure a better tomorrow in the tragic struggle between law enforcement and the people they are sworn to protect.” Alan K. Simpson, U.S. Senator, Wyoming (1979-1997)
“Those of us who have been in the hard world of defending against police who kill, lie, and cover it up know what Spence says is true. And his solutions are original and thought-provoking,” Milton Grimes, Attorney to Rodney King
"Gerry Spence has written a terrific book on the problems with today's criminal justice system. Police State: How America's Cops Get Away with Murder gives us the best of Gerry Spence. Spence starts out by asking the basic question: "Are we safe from our own police?" What he really wants to ask, however, comes a bit later: "Are we safe from power?" Using tales of his brilliance in court, Spence answers those questions. No, we are not safe, and that is precisely why we need people like Gerry Spence to represent people in court."-- Laurie L. Levenson, Los Angeles Review of Books