Linda Fairstein Popular Books

Linda Fairstein Biography & Facts

Linda Fairstein (born May 5, 1947) is an American author, attorney, and former New York City prosecutor focusing on crimes of violence against women and children. She was the head of the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan District Attorney's office from 1976 until 2002. During that time, she oversaw the prosecution of the Central Park Five case, wherein five teenagers, four African-American and one Hispanic, were wrongfully convicted for the 1989 rape and assault in Central Park of a white female jogger. All five convictions were vacated in 2002 after Matias Reyes, a convicted serial rapist and murderer, confessed to having been the sole perpetrator of the crime, and DNA testing showed he was the sole contributor of the DNA of the semen on the victim. After Reyes' confession in 2002, Fairstein still maintained that the wrongfully convicted teenage boys were guilty and she lauded the police investigation as "brilliant". In 2018, she insisted that the teenagers' confessions had not been coerced.After she left the DA's office in 2002, Fairstein began to publish mystery novels featuring Manhattan prosecutor Alexandra Cooper. Several have been bestsellers. It was not until June 2019, in response to the attention associated with the release of the Netflix series When They See Us about the Central Park Five, that Fairstein's publisher, Dutton, dropped her. She was also asked to resign from the boards of at least two not-for-profit organizations. Education Fairstein graduated with honors from Vassar College in 1969, with a degree in English literature. She graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1972, where she was one of a dozen women in her class. Legal career Fairstein joined the Manhattan District Attorney's office in 1972 as an Assistant District Attorney. In 1976 she was promoted to the head of the sex crimes unit, where she worked to support victims of crime. During her tenure, she prosecuted controversial and highly publicized cases, such as the "Preppy Murder case" against Robert Chambers in 1986, and the 1998 People v. Jovanovic cases.Fairstein, as Head of Sex Crimes, oversaw the prosecution of five juvenile defendants known as the "Central Park Five" in the 1989 "Central Park Jogger" case. The case was prosecuted by ADAs Elizabeth Lederer and Arthur Clements, with trials held in 1990. The convictions in the case were vacated in 2002 following a confession by the perpetrator, a convicted serial rapist and murderer, and confirmation by a DNA match to evidence at the scene.Fairstein left the District Attorney's office in 2002, and has continued to consult, write, lecture and serve as a sex crimes expert for a wide variety of print and television media outlets, including CNN, MSNBC and Larry King, among others. She has consulted for a number of media outlets during a number of high-profile prosecutions, including Michael Jackson's molestation charges in 2004, Kobe Bryant's sexual assault charges, and Scott Peterson's trial.She was also reportedly involved with a defense of Harvey Weinstein, helping to silence one of the sexual harassment complaints against him.Fairstein founded the Domestic Violence Committee of the New York Women's Agenda. She is a frequent speaker on issues related to domestic abuse. Central Park Jogger case Investigation, conviction and appeal Fairstein's office supervised the prosecution in 1989 and 1990 of the Central Park Jogger case, which ended in the conviction of five teenagers whose convictions were later vacated. In a civil rights lawsuit filed in 2003, the five who were convicted claimed that Fairstein, with the assistance of the detectives at the 20th Precinct, coerced false confessions from them following up to thirty straight hours of interrogation and intimidation, of both the youths and their supporting adults. When Assistant US attorney David Nocenti, a "Big Brother" mentor to Yusef Salaam, one of the defendants, appeared at the precinct while the defendant was being grilled, plaintiffs claimed, Fairstein verbally abused him, demanded he leave immediately, and called her husband to demand the home number of Nocenti's boss, Brooklyn US Attorney Andrew Maloney, so she could get the young attorney fired.Fairstein said "Nobody under sixteen was talked to until a parent or guardian arrived... Three of the five went home and had a night's sleep before they were ever taken into custody. For most of them, the substance of their admissions came out within about an hour of the time they came in... I think Reyes ran with that pack of kids. He stayed longer when the others moved on. He completed the assault. I don't think there is a question in the minds of anyone present during the interrogation process that these five men were participants, not only in the other attacks that night but in the attack on the jogger. I watched more than thirty detectives—black, white, Hispanic guys who'd never met each other before—conduct a brilliant investigation." Lawyers for the five defendants contested almost every element of Fairstein's statement.All five accused teenagers later claimed their confessions were coerced during interrogation through lies and intimidation. In 1990 each of the "Central Park Five" were convicted of various assault and sexual battery charges, based in part on the allegedly false confessions obtained from them in 1989. Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise had signed written confessions, while Yousef Salaam made a verbal confession but refused to sign.Their convictions were upheld on appeal. Appellate court judge Vito Titone specifically named Fairstein in his dissenting opinion on the Salaam appeal. He said in an interview, "I was concerned about a criminal justice system that would tolerate the conduct of the prosecutor, Linda Fairstein, who deliberately engineered the 15-year-old's confession. ... Fairstein wanted to make a name. She didn't care. She wasn't a human." Vacating of convictions All five convictions were vacated in 2002 after convicted rapist Matias Reyes confessed to the crime. Reyes confessed after he "found religion." The police had recovered DNA of only one man at the site of the crime, and none of the Central Park Five matched. The semen found on the victim contained DNA matching that of Reyes, confirming that he was the sole contributor, to a certainty of six billion to one. Aftermath In 2003, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana Jr., and Antron McCray sued the city of New York for malicious prosecution, racial discrimination and emotional distress. It wasn't until Mayor De Blasio took office 11 years later that a settlement in the case was reached on June 19, 2014, for $41 million.Ken Burns and his daughter Sarah and her husband made a documentary film about the case, which he compared to the Scottsboro Boys case. The film, The Central Park Five, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2012 and was released on November 23, 2012. A Pulitzer Prize winning opera, .... Discover the Linda Fairstein popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Linda Fairstein books.

Best Seller Linda Fairstein Books of 2024

  • Last Lullaby synopsis, comments

    Last Lullaby

    Denise Hamilton

    “Nobody can do multicultural Los Angeles better than Denise Hamilton.” The Denver Post Now, the Edgar Award­–nominated author sends reporter Eve Diamond on a suspensecharged invest...

  • The Killer Inside synopsis, comments

    The Killer Inside

    Will Carver

    A FREE digitalonly short story from the acclaimed author of Girl 4. Included is an exclusive extract of Will Carver's new book Dead Set (out 21st November 2013).I am about to be pu...

  • A Good Killing synopsis, comments

    A Good Killing

    Allison Leotta

    Former federal prosecutor and critically acclaimed author Allison Leotta’s spellbinding thriller follows prosecutor Anna Curtis as she heads home to Michigan to defend her sister i...

  • How Serial Rapists Target Their Victims synopsis, comments

    How Serial Rapists Target Their Victims

    Linda Fairstein

    Crime expert Linda Fairstein reveals the sinister ways that rapists select and attack their victims, and what you need to know to protect yourself From the man who haunted midtown ...

  • The Last Good Girl synopsis, comments

    The Last Good Girl

    Allison Leotta

    From Allison Leotta, the “highly entertaining storyteller” (George Pelecanos) who writes “in a style that’s as real as it gets” (USA TODAY), a rippedfromtheheadlines novel featurin...

  • Harvest synopsis, comments

    Harvest

    Tess Gerritsen

    In this classic medical thriller filled with harrowing suspense and brilliantly crafted plot twists, Tess Gerritsenthe author of the acclaimed Rizzoli & Isles series that inspi...

  • Surfing the Panther synopsis, comments

    Surfing the Panther

    Steve Martini & Linda Fairstein

    In this short story from the New York Times bestselling thriller anthology FaceOff, Linda Fairstein and Steve Martinialong with their popular series characters Alex Cooper and Paul...

  • Speak of the Devil synopsis, comments

    Speak of the Devil

    Allison Leotta

    In this gripping legal thriller by “the female John Grisham” (The Providence Journal), sexcrimes prosecutor Anna Curtis must stop a vicious street gang before it destroys more live...

  • FaceOff synopsis, comments

    FaceOff

    David Baldacci & Lee Child

    An instant New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller and “a thriller reader’s ultimate fantasy” (Booklist), this oneofakind anthology pulls together the most beloved characters from ...

  • Ten Rules for a Call Girl synopsis, comments

    Ten Rules for a Call Girl

    Allison Leotta

    From former federal sexcrimes prosecutor Allison Leotta, an eShort story about the secret life of Washington, D.C.’s highestpaid escorts.Beautiful Georgetown undergrad Caroline McB...

  • The Law and the Lady synopsis, comments

    The Law and the Lady

    Wilkie Collins

    Despite the grave misgivings of both their families, Valeria Brinton and Eustace Woodville are married. But before long the new bride begins to suspect a dark secret in her husband...

  • Why Some Women Lie About Rape synopsis, comments

    Why Some Women Lie About Rape

    Linda Fairstein

    A legal expert’s investigation of why some women falsely claim rape, and the devastating effects on those who have been wrongfully accused. For each criminal category, a small perc...

  • Law of Attraction synopsis, comments

    Law of Attraction

    Allison Leotta

    As a newly minted Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., Anna Curtis has already developed thick skin to deal with the brutality she encounters with her daily stack of domest...

  • The Cutaway synopsis, comments

    The Cutaway

    Christina Kovac

    “The Newsroom meets Gone Girl” (Cosmopolitan) in this stunning psychological thriller featuring a young television producer investigating the disappearance of a beautiful Georgetow...

  • Killing Kate synopsis, comments

    Killing Kate

    Julie Kramer

    The next pageturner in Julie Kramer’s bestselling series featuring intrepid television reporter Riley Spartz is “a flatout tour de force of harrowing twists and turns” (New York Ti...

  • Nothing but the Truth synopsis, comments

    Nothing but the Truth

    Robyn Gigl

    “Topically relevant, edgy, and riveting” (Library Journal), this groundbreaking and provocative legal suspense series combines a unique protagonista transgender defense attorneywit...

  • Linda Fairstein Boxed Set synopsis, comments

    Linda Fairstein Boxed Set

    Linda Fairstein

    Now available, a boxed eBook set of Linda Fairstein’s first three Alex Cooper mysteries: Final Jeopardy, Likely to Die, and Cold Hit.Linda Fairstein’s first novel, Final Jeopardy, ...

  • Remain Silent synopsis, comments

    Remain Silent

    Robyn Gigl

    “Topically relevant, edgy, and riveting” (Library Journal), this groundbreaking and provocative legal suspense series combines a unique protagonista transgender defense attorneywit...

  • Discretion synopsis, comments

    Discretion

    Allison Leotta

    For fans of Lisa Scottoline and Law and Order: SVU, former federal sexcrimes prosecutor Allison Leotta’s novel explores the intersection of sex and power as Anna Curtis investigate...

  • Every Good Girl synopsis, comments

    Every Good Girl

    Judy Astley

    Let bestselling author Judy Astley sweep you away with this uplifting, laughoutloud comedy which shows EXACTLY what little boys are made of. Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Mill...

  • The Five Most Dangerous Places for Women synopsis, comments

    The Five Most Dangerous Places for Women

    Linda Fairstein

    Crime expert Linda Fairstein reveals the surprising locations where women are most vulnerable to attacks, and what they can do to stay safeLeaving work, riding in a taxi, even sitt...

  • The Rape Scandal that Puts You at Risk synopsis, comments

    The Rape Scandal that Puts You at Risk

    Linda Fairstein

    A harrowing investigation into law enforcement’s failure to process hundreds of thousands of rape kits across Americaallowing many rapists to walk free. In 2011, advocacy grou...