First Year On the Bench by Mary Nan Thompson

One newly elected Superior Court Judge traveling the State of North Carolina hears six significant cases in his first year: three capital cases, first degree murder, second degree murder, and rape. This narrative non-fiction is a view from inside the courtroom and a look at the trials from different perspectives: The judges view is a legal one. The insights of the court system from the back halls is another. And most importantly, the view from the jury box is the only one that counts. This is our court system, ever changing. It is just and fair, but it is also fallible. And Judge Thompson has a personal life as well. His traveling companion provides a glimpse of his life outside the courtroom.