The Law of the Police - 2nd Edition - Rachel Harmon

The Law of the Police 2nd Edition ISBN 9798889063087

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The Law of the Police, Second Edition offers a comprehensive and timely examination of the legal frameworks that govern modern policing in the United States. Designed for use in a wide range of law school courses—including those focused on criminal procedure, policing reform, constitutional law, and legal remedies—it explores how law both empowers and regulates police conduct, and how legal doctrines affect issues of accountability, fairness, and justice.

This innovative casebook draws from a wide variety of primary sources—including federal and state judicial decisions, statutes, and actual police department policies—and combines them with insightful commentary, questions, and contextual materials. Its interdisciplinary approach draws on legal scholarship, social science, visual materials, and real-world events to create a highly engaging and adaptable teaching tool.

New to the Second Edition:

• Expanded coverage of emerging and evolving issues in police regulation, including:
  • No-knock warrants
  • Facial recognition technology
  • State-level reforms of pedestrian stops and traffic enforcement
  • State legislation on arrest authority and qualified immunity
  • Private civil settlements as tools for police reform
  • Community-led strategies to limit the role of police
• New materials addressing:
  • The influence of prosecutors on police practices
  • The use of race in policing decisions
  • The Second Amendment and gun enforcement
  • Policing of homelessness
  • Police unions and collective bargaining agreements
  • Pattern-or-practice investigations under the Biden administration
• Inclusion of a recent federal indictment charging an officer with excessive force
• Updated notes and commentary to reflect new empirical data, legal reforms, and current criminological research
• More real-world examples of controversial police encounters and analysis of the legal principles they raise

Key Features and Benefits:

• Flexible structure: Chapters and notes can be customized to support a range of courses, from foundational classes in police regulation to specialized seminars on force, oversight, or reform.
• Real-world context: Case studies, videos, protest art, photographs, and data visualizations encourage students to engage deeply with the material and explore the broader implications of policing law.
• Diverse legal sources: Integrates federal and state court decisions, statutes, local policies, and administrative rules to offer students a well-rounded understanding of legal authority over public policing.
• Interdisciplinary analysis: Introduces key academic research from law, criminology, public policy, and sociology, enriching legal study with critical perspectives.
• Emphasis on reform: Notes and questions help students think about the tools available to lawyers, lawmakers, and activists to change the law and regulate police conduct more effectively.
• Focus on timely, underexplored legal issues: Examines areas often overlooked elsewhere in the law school curriculum, equipping students to engage in current legal and policy debates surrounding policing.

The Law of the Police equips future lawyers with the tools to understand, evaluate, and influence the legal regimes that structure policing in America—making it an essential resource for those interested in the intersection of law, power, and justice.

Harmon The Law of the Police Second Edition ISBN 9798889063087 & 979-8889063087